We used to associate sweet potatoes with the south, but now they are a strong alternative potato 
eveer.rywhere in the U.S. Also changed is what we call sweet potatoes. We used to differentiate between “yams” and “sweet potatoes,” seemingly very different. This situation has been “solved” by declaring they be labeled “yam sweet potato.” No longer is it profitable to seek the very roundish sweet potato with a distinctively yellow, NOT ORANGE, center. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Yams
Some people think “yam” vs “sweet potato” is a matter of where one is raised. Not so.
The diference between yams and sweet potatoes used to be confusing. The two are not related – yams, which are oranger, are from the lily and grass family, and the original sweet potato is yellower and from the morning glory family. Originally, In the U.S., only firm sweet potatoes were raised. Once a soft variety was commercially grown, there was no need to market both. To prevent confusion, the United States Department of Agriculture now requires sweet potatoes labeled as “yams” to also be labeled as “sweet potatoes”
Potatoes originated with the Andean peoples of ancient Peru around 8000 BC, and over the years they developed potatoes of many colors, shapes and sizes. A tribute to sweet potatoes’ health properties is they are so rich with vitamin A and carotenes, once they reached the diet of the African Ugandan people, it caused a great increase in the population’s general health. Continue reading
It was a fine April in 2003, the Bicentennial year commemorating the Louisiana Purchase. Floating along the mighty Mississippi, … Continue reading