Potato, po-tah-to.

Most of you who know me, know that I am total nerd when it comes to food. That being said, after a quick Google search, I found this completely interesting and enlightening article. Read on and, for those of you who suffer from a confusion akin to my own, learn the fascinating difference between Yams and Sweet Potatoes so that you too can join the throng of consumers out to "rid the world of yam ignorance." :) Enjoy!

*I personally got a huge kick out of the serious, life-or-death-ness of the article--

Informative AND funny- what a culinary bonus!

The Difference Between A Sweet Potato And A Yam Is No Joke!

Some people think they’re the same thing. Even producers stencil both names on the same box, since the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires that the label “yam” always be accompanied with the words “sweet potato” when referring to a sweet potato. No wonder the poor consumer is confused. Hasn’t anyone told the USDA that these are separate vegetables that are not in the least related? Why should “yam” be on a sweet potato box in the first place.

The confusion began in the Antebellum era. The African slaves called the softer sweet potatoes cultivated in America “yams” because they resembled the nyami they knew from home. There were no nyami in America at the time: African and Caribbean immigrants wouldn’t cause import of real nyami, the white-fleshed African yam, to America until the latter 20th century, when they would appear in international grocery stores. By that time, most of America had only known “yams” as yellow-fleshed potatoes that weren’t particularly sweet. Some myths went so far as to say that yams were older sweet potatoes, after the sugar had converted to starch and the more colorful flesh had faded.

The Confusion Continues

Those encountering the long, rough, brown tubers called yams in international markets–or ordering yams in Caribbean restaurants and getting something white and starchy—have every right to be thoroughly confused. We are living in a multi-yam society. Perhaps it‘s time to go back to the terms sweet potato (domestic) and yam (African); or at least, domestic yam (sweet potato) and African yam (true yam).

The Final Word Here’s a comparison to master; then you can help rid the world of yam ignorance. Sweet Potato & Domestic Yam True Yam Scientific Name Ipomoea batatas Dioscorea Species Plant Family Morning Glory (Convolvulaceae) Yam (Dioscoreaceae) Origin South America (Peru, Ecuador) West Africa, Asia Age Prehistoric 50,000 B.C.E. Skin Smooth and thin; yellow/tan to darker orange/tan, red and purple Rough and scaly; the color is brown or brownish-black Flesh The color can range from white to yellow, orange, or orange-red Generally white, although some varieties can have purple or red flesh Shape Short, blocky, tapered ends Long, cylindrical, some with “toes”; often sold in chunks, since they can grow to 7 feet in length Mouthfeel Moist* Dry Taste Sweet* Starchy Calories, ½ Cup 103 79 Provenance United States Caribbean Varieties Sweet potatoes: Jersey, Kotobuki (Japanese), Okinawan (Purple), Papa Doc Yams: Beauregard, Covington, Garnet, Jewel There are about 500 species of the genus Dioscorea of the Dioscoreaceae family *Most varieties grown in the U.S. © Copyright 2005- 2010 Lifestyle Direct, Inc. All rights reserved. Images are the copyright of their respective owners. Taken from thenibble.com