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It
seems that most people get confused as to what is a sweet potato 
and what is a yam! In fact, in the United States, most people
use both terminologies to refer to a sweet potato, when neither
of these two vegetables is related!
The sweet potato is found in tropical America and is a part of
the Morning Glory family.
The yam is a tuber (a bulb) of a tropical vine found in Central &
South America, as well as the West Indies, Africa and Asia.
Varieties There are mainly two varieties of sweet potato. The
pale
sweet potato has a very thin yellow skin with a bright yellow
flesh.
This variety is neither sweet nor moist, but more the texture
of a
white baking potato. The darker skinned sweet potato has a thicker
orange skin with a sweet moist flesh.
The true yam is not marketed or grown widely in the United States. 
Where it is marketed, is usually in Latin American markets. A
yam can be as small as a potato and can grow as large as 7 feet
and weigh over 120 pounds! The flesh can range in color from
off-white to yellow to pink to purple! The skin color can be
from off-white to a dark brown.
Season
Both the sweet potato and the yam are available fresh from October
through March.
How to Select
When trying to choose a sweet potato, choose a medium sized variety
with smooth unbruised skin.
You will want to choose an unblemished yam with unwrinkled skin.
Storage Store your sweet potatoes in a dry, dark 55 degree F
(12 – 13
degrees C) area for approximately a month. Otherwise, use your
sweet
potato within the week. Never place a sweet potato in the
refrigerator.
Store your yam in a cool, dark, dry place up to 2 weeks. Never
place
your yam in the refrigerator.
Nutritional Qualities 
Sweet potatoes have high Vitamins A and C.
Yams have higher sugar content.
Wine Pairings
Depending on what you are serving with your yams or sweet potatoes
and as to how you are preparing it, try a Chardonnay, a Fume
Blanc, a
French Colombard or a Syrah.
Spices
Brown sugar, butter, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin,
ginger, lemon juice, lemon peel, mace, marjoram, nutmeg, orange
juice, orange peel, poppy seed, sage, savory, thyme.
Equivalencies
1 pound fresh = 3 medium = 3 ½ - 4 cups cooked and chopped
Preparation
A sweet potato can be prepared like a potato: baked, boiled,
sautéed,
steamed, microwaved, or fried.
A yam can be prepared like a sweet potato!
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| Recipes
African
Squash and Yams
6 Servings
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons oil
1 pound Hubbard squash, pared and cut into
1-inch pieces
2 yams, or sweet potatoes, pared & cut
into 1" pieces
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Directions:
Cook and stir onion in oil in 10-inch skillet
over medium heat until
tender. Stir in remaining ingredients.
Heat to boiling. Reduce heat.
Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Simmer, uncovered,
stirring
occasionally, until vegetables are tender,
about 5 minutes longer.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Source: Public domain recipes converted
from Meal Master format
Orange-Glazed
Sweet Potatoes
4 Servings
Ingredients:
1-pound sweet potatoes
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4-tablespoon wheat germ
1-tablespoon margarine
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Slice potatoes
about 1/8 inch thick; spread
evenly in an 8-inch square dish. Combine
orange juice, brown sugar,
wheat germ, margarine, orange peel, cinnamon
and nutmeg. Cover dish
with foil or lid. Bake 1 hour, until potatoes
are tender.
Source: Public domain recipes converted
from Meal Master format
Sweet Potato
Pie
8 Servings
Ingredients:
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup Mashed, cooked sweet potatoes
3 lightly beaten eggs
1/3 cup corn syrup
1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pie shell, Unbaked
Directions:
Cream butter and brown sugar in bowl until
light and fluffy. Blend in
sweet potato and eggs. Add next 4 ingredients;
mix well. Pour into
pie shell. Bake in a 425-degree oven for
10 minutes. Reduce heat to
325 degrees and bake 35 to 45 minutes longer
or until well set.
Source: Public domain recipes converted
from Meal Master format
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This
article was originally published at Suite 101. Jennifer Wickes
is the editor at "Cooking With The Seasons". This
site was voted to be one of the Top 100 Culinary Sites on the
Internet! To visit her site, go to:
http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/cooking_with_the_seasons
Or visit her at Suite 101's Food and Drink Community:
http://www.suite101.com/foodcenter/
Or you can join her Yahoo! Based group, Seasonal Cooking:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SeasonalCooking/
Or contact her directly at: culinaryjen@yahoo.com
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