If you thought yams and sweet potatoes were the same thing, think again! While the two root vegetables might appear to be similar (largely in part to grocery stores mislabeling them), the difference between yams vs. sweet potatoes is more complicated than you might think! For starters, most canned yams are typically just candied sweet potatoes. And many Thanksgiving dinner menus won’t have any yams at all! So, what’s with all the tubular confusion?
As it turns out, these two vegetables 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 naturally sweet spuds—they’re starchier, drier, and they have white or purple flesh. In fact, most canned goods or vegetables that are labelled yams here in the United States are actually sweet potatoes in disguise! So, why are supermarkets using the names interchangeably? And what exactly is the difference between a yam and a sweet potato? Here's what you need to know:
The History of Yams and Sweet Potatoes
Mixing up yams and sweet potatoes isn't anything new! The confusion can actually be traced back to the 1930s when Louisiana sweet potato growers decided to develop a new, softer type of sweet potato that they marketed as "yams" to differentiate them from the typical sweet potatoes grown in other states. The name yam came from the West African words nyam, nyami or enyame, which means "to eat."
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 fries, sweet potato pie, and Ree Drummond's family favorite sweet soul taters (a yummy sweet potato casserole topped with mounds of brown sugar and pecans).
What Is a Yam?
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.
