In many American grocery stores, the vegetables labeled “yams” and “sweet potatoes” are just different varieties of sweet potatoes—when a softer, orange-fleshed variety of sweet potatoes hit the U.S. markets in the mid-20th century, they were labeled as yams to differentiate them from varieties Americans were already familiar with, and the name stuck.
True yams are somewhat rare in the United States. They’re starchier than sweet potatoes, they have a slightly different shape (sweet potatoes taper toward the ends; yams stay more cylindrical and can be up to five feet long), and their skin is rough and bumpy. They’re more comparable to a white russet potato than a sweet potato, and they’re commonly used in Caribbean and West African cooking.
The color difference between yams and sweet potatoes is that yams have a darker, rougher skin and flesh that ranges from white to purple, while sweet potatoes have a smoother skin and flesh that can be white, yellow, orange, or purple.
Sweet potatoes and yams are two different types of root vegetables. Sweet potatoes have a smoother skin and come in various colors like orange, white, or purple. Yams have rough, bark-like skin and are starchier than sweet potatoes. In the United States, what are often labeled as "yams" are actually sweet potatoes.
Yams and sweet potatoes are different plants with distinct characteristics. Yams have rough, dark brown skin and white flesh, while sweet potatoes have thin, smooth skin and orange flesh. Yams are starchier and drier, while sweet potatoes are moister and sweeter. In the United States, what are often labeled as "yams" are actually sweet potatoes.
Sweet potatoes and yams are often confused, but they are actually different plants. Sweet potatoes have smooth skin and come in various colors, while yams have rough, bark-like skin and are starchier. Sweet potatoes are sweeter and have a softer texture when cooked, while yams are drier and starchier.
No. They are two different types of root vegetable. Sweet potatoes are sweeter and a darker color than yams.
In the US, what is marketed as 'yams' or 'candied yams' are actually the same thing as sweet potatoes. In Africa and such places you can find real yams, which are whitish pink to purple in color. The only way to tell whether (canned) sweet potatoes or the ones packaged as yams have more sugar is to read the labels of the individual brands.
No, sweet potatoes and yams are not the same. They are two different types of root vegetables with distinct flavors, textures, and nutritional profiles.
Yams are from Africa. Sweet potatoes are different.
Yes, a yam is a tuber. Yams and sweet potatoes are the same thing.
yes
Begonias, potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, dahlias, and cassavas are tubers.
Gari