Yams have a lot of the same starchiness as traditional potatoes, while sweet potatoes can be softer and gooier. Sweet potatoes live up to the ‘sweet’ in their name, while yams are more earthy and neutral. Department of Agriculture requires labels with the term ‘yam’ to be accompanied by the term ‘sweetpotato.’ Despite the label regulations, most people still think of sweetpotatoes as yams regardless of their true identity. While yams and sweet potatoes are the same in their application, they differ in taste, texture, and appearance. In order to distinguish it from the white variety everyone was accustomed to, producers and shippers chose the English form of the African word “nyami” and labeled them “yams.” The orange-fleshed variety was introduced to the United States several decades ago. Yams have a white-ish flesh, are bigger and rounder, and are somewhat hairy on the outside. As for their appearances, again not similar.
![yams vs sweet potatoes yams vs sweet potatoes](https://cdn0.wideopeneats.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/yams-vs-sweet-potatoes.jpg)
Yams are not sweet: they’re starchy and dry. They are short and blocky with tapered ends. They’re also more moist and juicier than yams. So, how did the confusion arise It seems that American slaves referred to the soft orange-fleshed sweet potatoes as yams because of their similarity to the. It is rough and scaly and very low in beta carotene.ĭepending on the variety, sweetpotato flesh can vary from white to orange and even purple. Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are sweeter with a smooth, thin skin. So where did all of the confusion come from? Let’s break down the main differences between yams and sweetpotatoes!Ī true yam is a starchy edible root of the Dioscorea genus, and is generally imported to America from Africa. Their flesh can be white, yellow, pink or purple. Most people think that long, red-skinned sweetpotatoes are yams, but they really are just one of many varieties of sweetpotatoes. Scott said true yams more closely resemble yucca root, with skin that’s a fibrous, tree-bark kind of texture. Yes, all so-called “yams” are in fact sweetpotatoes. That sweet, orange-colored root vegetable that you love so dearly is actually a sweetpotato.
![yams vs sweet potatoes yams vs sweet potatoes](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/62/29/40/62294050304508450cd103514c810023.jpg)
Even more, it’s possible that you’ve never even tasted a yam! The truth is what you’ve been calling a yam is most likely a sweetpotato.
![yams vs sweet potatoes yams vs sweet potatoes](https://extension.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/sweet%20potato%20vs.%20yam-2-ver2.jpg)
What’s in a name? When it comes to the yam, a bit of confusion.