Sweet Potatoes Are Sometimes Known As Yams

Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are native to Central America and were included in the treasure that Christopher Columbus brought back to Europe. Sweet potatoes quickly found favor in the French court.

The names sweet potato and yam are often used interchangeably

However, there are 16 differences between them, including the appearance of the fruit. The sweet potato has a thin, smooth skin and the yam has a thick, rough skin, resembling the bark of a tree. A yam can grow up to seven feet long and weigh one hundred pounds. Yams are seldom seen in North America.

Yams are actually a moist and highly colored variety of sweet potato. The two major varieties of sweet potatoes are the yellow and dry ones and the deeply colored and moist ones. As with all fruits and vegetables, the deeper the color, the more nutritious they are.

How to cook sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes may be baked, boiled, fried, juiced, or eaten raw. They may be shredded and added to a salad. From experience, we know that sweet potatoes are available in a wide range of sizes. If they are to be boiled whole, for uniform cooking time select sweet potatoes of uniform size. They may also be peeled, cut in to pieces, lightly oiled, and baked in a pan.

Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamins A and C and they provide manganese, calcium and dietary fiber.

(R.D.)

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