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We've all been there—standing in the super market wondering if that can of candied yams is actually yams or if it’s just candied sweet potato in disguise. Or, if that pile of yams in the produce section has been mistaken for sweet potatoes. The whole thing is a bit confusing if you ask us! In fact, it makes planning your Thanksgiving dinner just a little more stressful—and that’s something no one needs! So, to make your holiday food shopping easier we’re breaking down the difference between yams and sweet potatoes once and for all.
If you thought yams and sweet potatoes were the same thing, think again. For years, grocery stores have been mislabeling sweet potatoes and yams, and using the names interchangeably. But, it turns out, these two tubers aren't actually related at all. (You won't find yams on our list of types of potatoes!) The one with a bright orange interior used for making the annual marshmallow-topped casserole? That's a sweet potato. Yams, however, look and taste far different than those sugary sweet potatoes. If you've been wondering what exactly is the difference between a yam and a sweet potato, read on for everything you need to know.
What is a sweet potato?
A sweet potato is a a root tuber native to Central and South America. Sweet potatoes come in a few varieties and be orange, purple, or even white in flesh. The most common type of sweet potato has bright orange flesh with smooth, rosy brown skin. Sweet potatoes are pretty common in the United States, and are used in many sweet and savory preparations like sweet potato casserole with marshmallow, air-fryer sweet potato fries, beef curry with sweet potato noodles, and Ree Drummond's family favorite Sweet Soul Taters (a yummy sweet potato casserole topped with mounds of brown sugar and pecans).
While yams are also root tubers, they aren't the same as sweet potatoes. In fact, they're far more different than you might realize! Originating in parts of Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean, yams come in many different shapes, sizes, and varieties. Many popular varieties are cylindrical in shape and have a white flesh with a dark brown skin that appears almost bark-like. But the taste is what's most surprising. Drier and less creamy than sweet potatoes, yams are hardly sweet. They have more of an earthy, neutral taste. In fact, a yam's flesh, in both texture and flavor, is more similar to a russet potato than a sweet potato. Yams can also grow much larger than sweet potatoes, too—more than five feet long and up to 100 pounds. Like sweet potatoes, though, they're best stored in cool, dark spots.
What is the difference between sweet potatoes and yams?
Now that you know a little more about sweet potatoes and yams, it’s easy to see that they’re actually two different vegetables! They look different, they taste different, and they grow differently, too. They might just have more differences than they do similarities!
While both yams and sweet potatoes are root vegetables, the taste of each is entirely unique. The orange-fleshed sweet potatoes tend to be much sweeter and creamier in texture compared to yams which have a white flesh that's starchier and more similar to a white potato. If you’re able to find true yams in your supermarket, they can be prepared just like your favorite potato recipes—boiled, roasted, baked, or fried. But if sweet, candied recipes are what you’re after, you probably want to stick to using sweet potatoes.
Is a yam healthier than a sweet potato?
Both sweet potatoes and yams are nutritious, albeit completely different vegetables. They are both good to eat as a part of a healthy diet and neither is particularly nutritiously superior to the other. That being said, sweet potatoes contain more vitamin C, vitamin A, fiber, and protein.
How can you tell them apart? Generally, sweet potatoes taper at the ends and have an overall smooth exterior.Yams are more cylindrical and typically have rougher skin that's described as scaly or even sometimes hairy.
No, yams and sweet potatoes are not the same. Yams have rough, dark brown skin that is often compared to tree bark, and their flesh is dry and starchy like a regular potato. Sweet potatoes have smooth reddish skin, softer flesh (when cooked), and a sweet flavor.
The reason for the name mix-up, she explains, is because Louisiana sweet potato growers in the 1930s marketed a new breed of orange-fleshed sweet potatoes as “yams” to distinguish their crop from other states' produce—and it stuck.
While some may use sweet potato and yam interchangeably, botanically speaking, they are completely different vegetables. Even though both are starchy tubers, sweet potatoes and yams are not the same species or even in the same family.
Although both veggies are very close in fiber, protein, vitamin C, and magnesium, sweet potatoes are the healthier option because they are lower in overall calories, lower in carbohydrates, and higher in beta carotene (vitamin A).
Most grocery stores offer two similar-looking tubers — some labeled as yams, and some as sweet potatoes. While much of the confusion stems from these names being used interchangeably in U.S. markets and in recipes, sweet potatoes and yams are actually two very different vegetables.
In America, where there were no yams, they were replaced with the New World sweet potatoes (Ipomea batatas), which were paler in color and drier in texture than today's popular varieties. Slaves took to calling them by the West African word nyami, which was Anglicized to "yam."
When soft varieties were first grown commercially, there was a need to differentiate between the two. African slaves had already been calling the 'soft' sweet potatoes 'yams' because they resembled the yams in Africa. Thus, 'soft' sweet potatoes were referred to as 'yams' to distinguish them from the 'firm' varieties.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires labels with the term 'yam' to be accompanied by the term 'sweet potato. ' Unless you specifically search for yams, usually found in an international market, you are probably eating sweet potatoes, the Library of Congress states.
Its high fibre content contributes to a glycemic index of 54, significantly lower than that of potatoes having a glycemic index of 80. This makes yam better suited for weight watchers, diabetics and those with heart disease as it does not create sharp increase in insulin response.
Sweet potatoes with orange flesh are richest in beta-carotene. Sweet potatoes with purple flesh are richer in anthocyanins. Beta-carotene and anthocyanins are naturally occurring plant “phyto” chemicals that give vegetables their bright colors.
Dogs can eat yams and enjoy the many nutritional benefits of the sweet tubers. These veggies come packed with canine-friendly nutrients that benefit your pet's health and wellness.
While both yams and sweet potatoes are root vegetables, the taste of each is entirely unique. The orange-fleshed sweet potatoes tend to be much sweeter and creamier in texture compared to yams which have a white flesh that's starchier and more similar to a white potato.
Taro is grown from the tropical taro plant and is not one of the nearly 600 types of yams. taro plant, and unlike purple yams, they are not a species of yam.
Sweet potato fries are a great alternative to regular potato fries because they are packed with vitamins and minerals. Use garnet yams for this dish for their vibrant orange color. They are sliced thickly, like steak-cut fries, and are coated with a lively herb and spice olive oil mixture.
“Sweet potato, often associated with oven baked, roasted or mashed, can actually be consumed raw,” says Cox. But you'll want to grate the flesh first to make it more palatable: “Grated into a slaw, sweet potatoes are a super source of beta carotene, vitamin C and fibre.”
Wash and peel the yams, then cut them into bite-size cubes. Choose a saucepan or Dutch oven that will be large enough to hold them without crowding. Fill the pot with just enough salted water to cover the yams. Bring to a boil and cook, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender.
Introduction: My name is Clemencia Bogisich Ret, I am a super, outstanding, graceful, friendly, vast, comfortable, agreeable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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