# Yams and Sweet potatoes



## BulkMeUp (Apr 8, 2005)

Just curious. Yams have a higher sugar content than Sweet potatoes. But swet potatoes taste sweeter than yams! (at least to me). Why is that?


----------



## Emma-Leigh (Apr 8, 2005)

BulkMeUp said:
			
		

> Just curious. Yams have a higher sugar content than Sweet potatoes. But swet potatoes taste sweeter than yams! (at least to me). Why is that?


Where did you get that info from?? TRUE yams (and not the sweet potato that most people confuse with yams) actually do have less sugar than sweet potato... they also have more starch...

Sweet tato
yam


----------



## BulkMeUp (Apr 9, 2005)

Emma-Leigh said:
			
		

> Where did you get that info from??


I saw that on a few sites. For example:
http://www.vitacost.com/science/hn/Food_Guide/Yams.htm


> Yams are similar in size and shape to sweet potatoes, but contain more natural sugar and have a higher moisture content.


http://www.thecookinginn.com/terms/termsy.html


> yams contain more natural sugar and have a higher moisture content



And then there is this:
http://www.cnn.com/FOOD/key.ingredient/yams/ 


> True yams contain more starch and less sugar than sweet potatoes







			
				Emma-Leigh said:
			
		

> TRUE yams (and not the sweet potato that most people confuse with yams) actually do have less sugar than sweet potato... they also have more starch...
> 
> Sweet tato
> yam



The 'Yams' that i get are an orange-ish skin and flesh, as opposed to the sweet potaotes that are red-ish skinned and white flesh. But i guess they might not really be true Yams. Nutritiondata does say yams have less sugar, but reading sites that claimed they have more sugar confused me as the reddish skinned sweet potatoes taste sweeter than the orangeish skinned yams. But i guess the ones i get here could both be diff varieties of sweet potatoes.


----------



## PreMier (Apr 9, 2005)

Yams are orange, sweet potatos are a whitish/green.

Real yams from Tonga, and Mexico are pretty large, and white inside.  Oh, and taste really bland blah.

Dont know about the sugar, and why they taste different.  Its just the way they are?  Why do you care?


----------



## BulkMeUp (Apr 9, 2005)

PreMier said:
			
		

> Yams are orange, sweet potatos are a whitish/green.


I get the orange coloured ones.



			
				PreMier said:
			
		

> Real yams from Tonga, and Mexico are pretty large, and white inside.  Oh, and taste really bland blah.


I thought the large ones with white flesh were varieties of Tapioca. Or maybe i am just confused.


			
				PreMier said:
			
		

> Why do you care?


Coz i dont like my food sweet. I pref spicy/tangy/hot over sweet. Besides i was curious.


----------



## BulkMeUp (Apr 9, 2005)

PreMier said:
			
		

> Yams are orange, sweet potatos are a whitish/green.


I get the orange coloured ones.



			
				PreMier said:
			
		

> Real yams from Tonga, and Mexico are pretty large, and white inside.  Oh, and taste really bland blah.


I thought the large ones with white flesh were varieties of Tapioca. Or maybe i am just confused.


			
				PreMier said:
			
		

> Why do you care?


Coz i dont like my food sweet. I pref spicy/tangy/hot over sweet. Besides i was curious and wanted to understand them correctly.


----------



## Emma-Leigh (Apr 9, 2005)

Sounds to me like you are confusing two types of sweet potato. True yams are very hard to find in most places - you usually have to go to a speciality type store to find them.

It also sounds as if a lot of these sites are confusing them too - as I said before, LOTS of people confuse them (for some reason you guys decided to name one variety of sweet potato a 'yam' and the other a 'sweet potato' and the name has stuck so it is confusing for EVERYONE in trying to determine the difference!) 



> In American supermarkets, sweet potatoes are displayed next to something called "yams," which are moister than sweet potatoes and have darker skins.  But according to the rest of the world (and botanists), we have it all wrong.  To them, our  "yams" are just a variety of sweet potatoes.  They use the word yam to describe a completely different vegetable, something we call a tropical yam.



From here: 
http://www.foodsubs.com/Sweetpotatoes.html


----------



## PreMier (Apr 9, 2005)

tropical yam = true yam = greater yam = cush-cush = mapuey = yampi = namé =  name = nyami = igname   Notes:   These firm, white-fleshed yams are widely used in tropical countries.   They're somewhat bland and dry, so they're often served with spicy sauces.
*These are the ones I was talking about, that come from Mexico.  All the tongans call them yams, and you have to buy them at specialty markets here*





sweet potato  Notes:   In American supermarkets, sweet potatoes are displayed next to something called "yams," which are moister than sweet potatoes and have darker skins.  But according to the rest of the world (and botanists), we have it all wrong.  To them, our  "yams" are just a variety of sweet potatoes.  They use the word yam to describe a completely different vegetable, something we call a tropical yam.    
Sweet potatoes are quite versatile, but they're most often baked, candied, or made into pies.  It's best not to boil them, as they'll lose much of their flavor.  
*These are what I eat, and call sweet potatos(along with the markets).*





yam = moist-fleshed sweet potato   Notes:   Americans use the word "yam" to refer to a sweet, moist, orange-fleshed variety of sweet potato.   To everyone else in the world, a yam is what Americans call a tropical yam, a firm tuber with white flesh.  Varieties of American "yams" (sweet potatoes) include the garnet yam (pictured at left) and the jewel yam.  
*This is a 'yam'.  Its what people eat at Thanksgiving here.  And orange like I stated above*

Good site, thanks.


----------



## BulkMeUp (Apr 10, 2005)

oh .. ok .. so i guess i'v been eating a certain variety of sweet potatoes all along .. no prob .. thanks for the clarification


----------



## joesmooth20 (Apr 10, 2005)

i can never find any that are canned and not in that crappy syrup.


----------



## BulkMeUp (Apr 10, 2005)

joesmooth20 said:
			
		

> i can never find any that are canned and not in that crappy syrup.


You only buy them canned? Why dont you get the fresh ones. You will find them in the veggie asile. Near the potatoes.


----------



## Emma-Leigh (Apr 10, 2005)

BulkMeUp said:
			
		

> You only buy them canned? Why dont you get the fresh ones. You will find them in the veggie asile. Near the potatoes.


Buy them raw?  But that would require cooking! 

I don't even think we HAVE canned sweet potato over here (well I have never seen it in the supermarket and I know the supermarket pretty well)...


----------



## RexStunnahH (Apr 10, 2005)

Yeah...I see what premier posted.We eat that...I know when we farm back home we have diffrent kinds of yams,I'm not sure of how many,But I know that we grow 3 diffrent kinds of that tropical yam and the purple one,only the one we grow has purple skin and purple meat,well greyish purple.I have seen those white ones the tropical yams grow to 5-6 feet.Would you know of the nutritionlal values of these,..or even of Taro?
Just asking since we eat these things more than rice or anything.Don't know if its good or not,all I know is its available.LOL


----------



## Tom_B (Apr 10, 2005)

Is there any difference between the whiteish sweet potato , and the orange one?


----------



## PreMier (Apr 10, 2005)

RexStunnahH said:
			
		

> Yeah...I see what premier posted.We eat that...I know when we farm back home we have diffrent kinds of yams,I'm not sure of how many,But I know that we grow 3 diffrent kinds of that tropical yam and the purple one,only the one we grow has purple skin and purple meat,well greyish purple.I have seen those white ones the tropical yams grow to 5-6 feet.Would you know of the nutritionlal values of these,..or even of Taro?
> Just asking since we eat these things more than rice or anything.Don't know if its good or not,all I know is its available.LOL



Yea, your Tongan right?  Do you have the red ones too?  They look like the color of red dirt inside.  They call them the food of the gods or something?


----------



## BulkMeUp (Apr 11, 2005)

Emma-Leigh said:
			
		

> Buy them raw?  But that would require cooking!


Cooking??!! .. Oh Noooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!  


			
				Emma-Leigh said:
			
		

> I don't even think we HAVE canned sweet potato over here (well I have never seen it in the supermarket and I know the supermarket pretty well)...


Me neither! I didnt know canned tatoes even existed!!


----------



## BulkMeUp (Apr 11, 2005)

Tom_B said:
			
		

> Is there any difference between the whiteish sweet potato , and the orange one?


whiteish sweet potato? Dont think i have come accross that.


----------



## njc (Apr 11, 2005)

Umm.. okay, so in conclusion, which ones do I eat, the orange ones?


----------



## BulkMeUp (Apr 11, 2005)

njc said:
			
		

> Umm.. okay, so in conclusion, which ones do I eat, the orange ones?


Either one is fine


----------



## Tom_B (Apr 11, 2005)

BulkMeUp said:
			
		

> whiteish sweet potato? Dont think i have come accross that.


 The one that Premier posted .. the pics of the Yam , then that whiter sweet potato , then the orange sweet potato. Want to know if maybe the orange is lower GI compared to the whiter one , or if there both equal ..


----------



## RexStunnahH (Apr 11, 2005)

PreMier said:
			
		

> Yea, your Tongan right? Do you have the red ones too? They look like the color of red dirt inside. They call them the food of the gods or something?


Yea,I'm Tongan...I haven't had the red one you talk about,but I do know you can tell what kind they are by the vine growing out,if it has thorns,its purple and if not its white.But they are bland.I like it cooked with coconut milk(Fattening)When I was growing up Sometimes we wouldn't have enough meat for everyone and I can remember eating yam and salt and dipping it in the leftover oil that they cooked fish in and eat it with the yam.I think back to those days and I'm like YUCK!


----------



## PreMier (Apr 11, 2005)

LOL, yea, my friends cook it in coconut milk.  Kalua pig, roast pig, chicken.. all the good shit.  I was always curious how they got so damn big, now after going and eating with them I know hahaha.  When I meet new members of their 'family' they are like "Damn, that white boy can eat!".


----------



## Emma-Leigh (Apr 12, 2005)

Tom_B said:
			
		

> The one that Premier posted .. the pics of the Yam , then that whiter sweet potato , then the orange sweet potato. Want to know if maybe the orange is lower GI compared to the whiter one , or if there both equal ..


I can't find any info on if they are different - but I would think they would be very similar... If there was a slight difference I would also say that, once combined in a meal with vegetables, proteins and fats, it would be so minimal that it would not really make a difference...

But I can say that yams are appreciably lower in GI/GL.
eg:
Mean of five studies on Sweet tato GI = 61±7, GL = 17 
mean of three studies on yams GI = 37±8, GL = 13


----------



## Tom_B (Apr 12, 2005)

Emma-Leigh said:
			
		

> I can't find any info on if they are different - but I would think they would be very similar... If there was a slight difference I would also say that, once combined in a meal with vegetables, proteins and fats, it would be so minimal that it would not really make a difference...
> 
> But I can say that yams are appreciably lower in GI/GL.
> eg:
> ...


 O .. I didn't realize that Sweet potato was that high in GI .. not sure if the GL balances it out or something as I never really understood what the glycemic load meant


----------



## BulkMeUp (Apr 12, 2005)

Tom_B said:
			
		

> O .. I didn't realize that Sweet potato was that high in GI .. not sure if the GL balances it out or something as I never really understood what the glycemic load meant


I was just reading up on that myself. Check this thread out as well as the links within that Jodi mentioned.


----------



## joesmooth20 (Apr 12, 2005)

Emma-Leigh said:
			
		

> Buy them raw?  But that would require cooking!
> 
> I don't even think we HAVE canned sweet potato over here (well I have never seen it in the supermarket and I know the supermarket pretty well)...



I don't know how to cook them???


----------



## SPIKE1257 (Apr 12, 2005)

joesmooth20 said:
			
		

> I don't know how to cook them???


Microwave, boil, bake...  Do a google search, how to cook sweet potatoes..


----------



## Emma-Leigh (Apr 12, 2005)

Tom_B said:
			
		

> O .. I didn't realize that Sweet potato was that high in GI .. not sure if the GL balances it out or something as I never really understood what the glycemic load meant



Cause I am lazy I am just going to quote a post I wrote on this once 


> The glycaemic index is a numerical figure given to the measure of the rise in glucose (sugar) in the blood following eating a food that contains carbohydrate.
> 
> Basically, it involves giving people the food in question, making sure they get 50g of carbohydrate, and then taking measures of their blood glucose levels. The glucose response is then plotted on a graph and the area under the curve calculated...
> 
> ...



You can also read more info at www.mendosa.com (click on the food option in the top left corner).


----------



## BulkMeUp (Apr 13, 2005)

joesmooth20 said:
			
		

> I don't know how to cook them???


You are kidding, right?

Well in case you are not. Here is what i do. I wash the potato. Slice and dice (with the skin on) into about 1/2" cubes. Place a few frozen brocolli florets over it and place the bowl, covered with a microwave safe cover in the micro and zap (1000 watts) for 3 mins. Let it stand for a min or two and they are done! Do a search, there are plenty of suggestions on preparing them with flavourongs and spices.


----------



## Tom_B (Apr 13, 2005)

BulkMeUp said:
			
		

> I was just reading up on that myself. Check this thread out as well as the links within that Jodi mentioned.


  what thread?


----------



## Tom_B (Apr 13, 2005)

Emma-Leigh said:
			
		

> Cause I am lazy I am just going to quote a post I wrote on this once
> 
> 
> You can also read more info at www.mendosa.com (click on the food option in the top left corner).


 Wow , thanks Emma. The Website looks great as well , hopefully I'll have a chance to look more closely at it tomorrow.


----------

