WHAT IS A YAM?
So if you look this word up in Google’s online dictionary, it says “a plant that yields a yam.” But if you think you’re already familiar with this edible tuber, think again. Retail stores often sell sweet potatoes mis-labeled as yams. The authentic yam is not the same. It has a thick, woody brown skin instead of a brown, potato looking skin. And the real version of this root is not sweet. Rather it’s high in starch and low in moisture. In Caribbean and African cuisine yams are usually boiled with cheaper cuts of meat.
WHY ARE YAMS GOOD FOR YOU?
One serving has about 20% of the your recommended daily Vitamin C intake. Yams are also rich in fiber, niacin, riboflavin, folic and pantothenic acid. In Asia it is applied topically for skin issues (contains allantoin) and supposedly helps women going through menopause.
WHEN ARE YAMS IN SEASON?
These vegetables require a tropical environment with a lot of moisture. So planting is usually done at the start of the rainy season (June through September in Nigeria), and then harvested afterward during the dry season.
HOW SHOULD YAMS BE STORED?
Do not refrigerate, instead store them in a cool, dark location. You should eat them as soon as possible as they don’t tend to keep as long as other tubers.
WHAT IS THE PROPER WAY TO DICE A YAM?
The knife technique is identical to that used with a potato. Click here to see!
EATING YAMS IS A FORM OF BIRTH CONTROL?
Yams were once used to produce steroids and compounds very similar to estrogen for birth control pills.