FoodBanter.com - View Single Post - Prefer Yams Or Sweet Potatoes

Brooklyn1

On Sat, 8 Oct 2011 21:16:41 -0800, (Judy Haffner)
wrote:

>
>Bob wrote:
>
>>I'm not certain what you mean by "yam"
>> and "sweet potato". The word "yam" has
>> been horribly *******ized in the USA, so
>> its true meaning has been completely
>> lost. True yams are big root vegetables
>> which have rough (sometimes
>> hairy-looking) skin.
>
>>There are two common sweet-potato
>> varieties: One has fairly light skin and
>> yellowish flesh. The other one has dark
>> reddish-brown skin and dark orange
>> flesh. The word "yam" is used
>> interchangeably between the two
>> varieties. When *you* say "yam", do you
>> mean one of those?
>
>I'm going by what our local supermarkets have them labeled. They are
>always side by side in the produce section and the sign for yams is by a
>more reddish skinned potato, where the sweet potato is a little
>different shape and has a light tan peel on it. The flavor is altogether
>different. Maybe the stores labels are misleading, but I was taking
>their word for it?

Markets sell both varieties of sweet potato and differentiate by
eroneously labeling one a yam. The type called yam is far more common
in the US and is what one finds canned. True yams are typically found
in ethnic markets and are usually sold by they piece as they are often
extremely large.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_potato
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yam_(vegetable)