Here are some interesting facts about sweet potatoes and yams.  Click for some ideas on cooking sweet potatoes.

Sweet potatoes are originally from America and were introduced to Columbus by the Native Americans. 

The word yam comes from the Senegalese word “nyami,” which African slaves in the South used to describe sweet potatoes that reminded them of the starchy edible tuber that grew in the their homeland.

Yam became the trademark for sweet potatoes grown in Louisiana.  Louisiana Yams are higher in natural sugar, moister, and softer than sweet potatoes.

Choose sweet potatoes with taut, papery skins, tapered ends, and uniform size, shape, and color

When storing sweet potatoes, store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place.  Do not store in the refrigerator because they will develop a hard core and an “off taste.”  If kept cool, the potatoes will last for a month or more. 

The USDA requires the word for sweet potato to accompany the word yam in food products but there are distinct differences in the two.  Sweet potatoes’ skin is smooth and range in color from pale yellow to dark purple to bright orange while yams’ skin are scaly and rough and range in color from off-white to dark brown.  

Sweet potatoes are a rich source of vitamins A and C.  They also contain iron and vitamin B1, vitamin E, potassium, magnesium, and iron.  A 200 gram portion of sweet potatoes contain 4.5 g of dietary fiber and 0.4 grams of fat.

Click for sweet potato recipes.

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