Often North Americans use the words “yam” & “sweet potato” interchangeably. However, a true yam is a starchy, edible tuber, generally with a drier taste than a sweet potato. Yams are rough, scaly, difficult to peel and very low in beta-carotene.
What is yam called in America?
In the United States, the terms “yam” and “sweet potato” are used interchangeably, but they are completely different vegetables. Yams are starchy and have a rough, brown exterior. They can grow up to 45 feet long and are eaten in parts of Latin America, West Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia.
Can you buy yams in the USA?
True yams are indigenous to Africa and Asia, with most grown in Africa, but there are over 150 varieties of yams available worldwide. Yams are mostly sold in chunks, sealed in plastic wrap—if you can even find them in the U.S. at all.
Is yam and sweet potato the same?
The skin of a yam (left) looks kind of like tree bark, while a sweet potato (right) is more reddish-brown. Real yams are entirely different root vegetables that are more like yucca in texture and flavor. They have bumpy, tough brown skin (that looks almost tree trunk-like) with starchy, not sweet flesh.
Is yam eaten in America?
There are some native, edible yams that grow wild right here in North America. Fourleaf yam (Dioscorea quaternata), and the wild yam (Dioscorea villosa) are native across the Eastern United States and were used as food sources by the Native Americans there.
