The African term “nyami,” which translates to “yam,” to distinguish betweenīoth sweet potatoes and yams are very versatile. Most vegetables labeled as a “yam” in US supermarkets are actually just a variety of sweet potato.Ĭonfusion between sweet potatoes and yams arose when US producers began using The term “yam” is now more of a marketing term for producers to distinguish between the two types of sweet potatoes. In order to set it apart from paler-skinned sweet potatoes, producers labeled them “yams.” In addition, the darker-skinned, orange-fleshed sweet potato variety was only introduced to the US several decades ago. This is because it reminded them of true yams, a food staple they knew in Africa. Yet, they are completely different vegetables.Ī few reasons can explain how this mix-up happened.Įnslaved Africans brought to the US called the local sweet potato “nyami,” which translates to “yam” in English. So much confusion surrounds the terms sweet potatoes and yams.īoth names are used interchangeably and often mislabeled in supermarkets. They tend to be fluffy and moist and are commonly found in the US.
#Yams vs sweet potatoes skin#
There are two main types of sweet potatoes: Dark-Skinned, Orange-Fleshed Sweet PotatoesĬompared to golden-skinned sweet potatoes, these are softer and sweeter with a darker, copper-brown skin and bright orange flesh.
Depending on the type, the flesh can range from white to orange to even purple. They are long and tapered with a smooth skin that can vary in color, ranging from yellow, orange, red, brown or purple to beige. However, sweet potatoes are a very distinctive-looking tuber. Their leaves and shoots are also sometimes eaten as greens. Like a regular potato, the tuberous roots of the sweet potato plant are eaten as a vegetable. Surprisingly, sweet potatoes are only remotely related to potatoes. They are thought to originate in Central or South America, but North Carolina is currently the largest producer ( 1). Sweet potatoes, also known by the scientific name Ipomoea batatas, are starchy root vegetables.
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