How to cook yam
Information for yam in our free cooking ingredients collection.
Yam
The yam is a thick, starchy tuber that is similar in appearance to the sweet potato but is not related to it. Yams can range in length from a few inches to 7 1/2 feet and can weigh more than 100 pounds. The rough skin is pale tan to dark brown, whereas the flesh can range from off-white to yellow to purple or pink. Depending on the variety, the texture is moist and tender or dry and mealy. The flavor is rather bland, more similar to white potatoes than to sweet potatoes.
Family - Dioscoreaceae
Scientific name - Dioscorea alata
Common name - yam
A good source of vitamin C, fiber, and potassium
Varieties
Hundreds of species of yams, all of them climbing vines, are cultivated throughout the world. The most widely grown type is the Dioscorea alata, also called the winged yam, greater yam, or white Manila yam, whose tubers can grow to 30 to 40 pounds in weight. Also popular is the D. batatas, or Chinese yam, a smaller tuber weighing 5 to 10 pounds, with a flattened or fan-like shape.
Origin and botanical facts
Yams derive their name from the Senegalese word nyami, which means “to eat”. They are native to Africa, where they have been cultivated for 11,000 years, and to southeast Asia, where their cultivation extends back 10,000 years. Along with taro, they may have been the first plants to be cultivated. The slave trade brought yams to Central America and the Caribbean, where they became an important staple crop. Nevertheless, western Africa still produces about half of the almost 30 million metric tons of yams currently grown in the world annually. The rest are grown in Asia and Central and South America. Very small amounts are cultivated and consumed in the United States. Most of the vegetables that are called yams in the United States are actually sweet potatoes. True yams thrive in frost-free, preferably tropical or subtropical climates whose rainfall totals at least 40 inches during the 8-month growing season. The ideal soil is rich, fertile, and moist but well drained. Like potatoes, yams are easily propagated from the tubers themselves, which are cut into wedges containing two or three buds each and allowed to dry for a day before planting. Plants can be grown in pots or planted directly into hills of compost mixed with sandy soil. Because the tubers do not store well, it is best to leave them in the ground as long as possible before harvest in fall or late winter.
How to cook yam
Yams can be found in Latin American and Asian specialty markets, usually sold in chunks. Yams should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place but should not be refrigerated. Because they grow underground, they should be scrubbed well to remove any clinging soil. Yams must be cooked before eating. Like potatoes, they can be baked, boiled, fried, or microwaved. They can be substituted for sweet potatoes, cut into chunks or mashed and seasoned with apple juice, orange peel, or sweet spices. They also are a flavorful addition to soups, casseroles, and stews and can take the place of mashed pumpkin in pies, cakes, and pastries.
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