Jasmine: Hi, I’m Jasmine.
Chrissy: I’m Chrissy.
Jasmine: We’re from NIU STEAM and…
Chrissy: You’re listening to The Sound of Science on WNIJ.
Jasmine: With the Thanksgiving holiday around the corner, family recipes are coming out in force and the debate about whether you are eating candied yams or sweet potato casserole is rekindled again.
Chrissy: There is a distinct difference in yams and sweet potatoes, but it may not be what you think. Scientifically, they are two different species. Sweet potatoes belong to the Morning Glory family and yams belong to the Dioscoreaceae family. Geographically, Sweet potatoes originate from Central and South America, while yams are native to Africa and Asia.
Jasmine: When looking at a sweet potato or yam, their overall appearance differs. Sweet potatoes have reddish-brown or copper-colored skin and orange, yellow, or white flesh, while yams have bark-like brown or black skin with white, purple, or reddish flesh. Yams are generally larger and more cylindrical than sweet potatoes. When cooked, sweet potatoes have a tender texture and a sweeter flavor. Yams have a starchy texture, are less sweet, and sometimes bitter. Sweet potatoes have typical potato “eyes” where new sprouts will grow, yams do not.
Chrissy: So if they are so different, why the mix up? Historically, in the early 1700’s when people from Africa were brought to the United States, they found sweet orange fleshed root vegetables that resembled their native yams. They began calling these vegetables “sweet yams” to differentiate. This term persisted, especially in the Southern regions of the United States, to contribute to the confusion. Finally, many grocers will use the terms yam, sweet yam, and sweet potato, interchangeably, due to the historical and regional factors just mentioned. Chances are if you’re in the produce section of a major “big box” chain, you are purchasing a sweet potato and not a yam.
Jasmine: You have been listening to The Sound of Science on WNIJ, where you learn something new every day.
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