Botanical name: Dioscorea rotundata
1. True yams may have been cultivated as early as 8,000 B.C. in Asia.
2. Yam and sweet potatoes are not the same things. In fact, they're not even related. Yams belong to the Dioscoreae or morning glory family, while sweet potatoes are from the genus Convolvulaceae.
3. The word Yam came from the African word "nyami," meaning "to eat".
4. Yams were used commercially to produce hormones for contraceptive pills, and steroids.
5.Yams are grown throughout Africa, but Nigeria is the world’s most prolific producer, exporting to 70% of the world market.
6. Yams can be several feet long. They can grow to huge sizes, and on the Pacific Island of Ponape, yams are referred to as 2 man, 4 man, or 6 man yams, depending on how many men it takes to lift the tuber. Some have been accurately recorded up to 600 pounds and 6 feet in length.
7. There are about 600 species of yam, 150 of which are cultivated for food. The water yam commonly cultivated in Southeast Asia, grows up to 8 feet long and can weigh over 100 pounds.
8. In Nepal, yam with sweet potato is used as a special dish on certain occasions.
9. Yam varieties are classified as either "firm" or "soft." When cooked, the former are more dense; the latter varieties become more tender and moist.
10. Yams should never be refrigerated until they're cooked. Leftovers should be wrapped, refrigerated, and eaten within a few days.
11. Yams are thought to have originated in Asia, carried to Africa around the first century before being transported to the Caribbean with the slave trade.
Source: FoodReference, FoodFacts
"Yams belong to the Dioscoreae or morning glory family, while sweet potatoes are from the genus Convolvulaceae."
ReplyDeleteThe morning glory family is the Convolvulaceae. Sweet potatoes belong to the genus Ipomoea.