I yam what I yam – and that’s a sweet potato
CONCORD, CA (Dec. 2, 2024) — There’s no better place to find some delicious sweet potatoes than at your local farmers market.
Did you know that yams and sweet potatoes are not the same thing? You’re unlikely to find a true yam at your farmers market, grocery store or restaurant. Although the terms “yam” and “sweet potato” are often used interchangeably, they come from different plant species. Sweet potatoes are native to the Americas, while yams originate from Africa.
There is incredible diversity in sweet potatoes; you can find varieties with snow-white, purple or the familiar bright orange flesh. In contrast, a real yam has a bark-like brown skin. Its flesh can be off-white, purple or red. True yams, which are starchy and dry, are rarely found in the United States.
In the 1930s, American farmers cultivated a new variety of sweet potato. To distinguish it from the existing varieties – smaller, drier and white or yellowish fleshed variety – growers began calling this new type a “yam.”
The term is rooted in the West African words nyam, nyami or enyame, which mean “to eat.” Enslaved African communities were the first to use the word yam to refer to sweet potatoes, as the new variety reminded them of the yams they had eaten in Africa. Today, U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations require that products labeled as yams also include the term “sweet potatoes,” reflecting the fact that they are technically and biologically not yams at all.
Here are a few sweet potato varieties you’re most likely to come across at the farmers market:
Beauregard: This copper-skinned potato is the most versatile of the three sweet potato varieties. When cooked, the flesh retains its vivid orange color, making it ideal for baking, steaming roasting and casseroles. Its delicate, sweet taste blends well with herbs and spices.
Diane, Red Garnet and Jewel: With their moist orange flesh, these varieties are often called yams but are actually members of the sweet potato family. The Garnet and Diane are easily identified by their deep red or purple jacket. They are a good choice for pies, breads and any recipe that calls for mashed or grated sweet potatoes.
Golden Sweet: With cream-colored skin and yellow, somewhat dry, mealy flesh, these are always labeled “sweet potatoes.”
Sweet Potato Fries
- 2 lbs. sweet potatoes
- 2 T olive oil
- 1 tsp. five-spice blend
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
Preheat oven to 400.
Cut sweet potatoes into sticks ¼- to ½-inch wide and 3 inches long. Toss them with the oil. Mix spices, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and toss with sweet potatoes.
Spread wedges out on two rimmed baking sheets. Bake until brown and crisp on the bottom, about 15 minutes, then flip and cook until the other side is crisp, about 10 minutes. Serve hot.
Visit the Concord Farmers Market every Tuesday between 10am and 2pm. For more information, visit www.pcfma.org.