Yams vs. Sweet Potatoes

[Iron Anarchy]

What is the difference? Which is a slower acting carb? Any positives or negatives would be greatly appreciated.

[Sledge]

I thought they were the same thing. Just some people call them sweet potatoes some people call them yams. Their are a heap of different kinds of sweet potato too. I'd be interested in if their is any practical difference between the different types.

[GottaGetLean]

there the same thing..:drool:

[GirlyMuscle]

Actually, they aren't the same thing but nutritionally they are very similar. I couldn't answer your question in detail so I relied on google.

A cut and paste...

Although yams and sweet potatoes are both angiosperms (flowering plants), they are not related botanically. Yams are a monocot (a plant having one embryonic seed leaf) and from the Dioscoreaceae or Yam family. Sweet Potatoes, often called ‘yams’, are a dicot (a plant having two embryonic seed leaves) and are from the Convolvulacea or morning glory family.

Yams
Yams are closely related to lilies and grasses. Native to Africa and Asia, yams vary in size from that of a small potato to a record 130 pounds (as of 1999). There are over 600 varieties of yams and 95% of these crops are grown in Africa. Compared to sweet potatoes, yams are starchier and drier.

Sweet Potatoes
The many varieties of sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are members of the morning glory family, Convolvulacea. The skin color can range from white to yellow, red, purple or brown. The flesh also ranges in color from white to yellow, orange, or orange-red. Sweet potato varieties are classified as either ‘firm’ or ‘soft’. When cooked, those in the ‘firm’ category remain firm, while ‘soft’ varieties become soft and moist. It is the ‘soft’ varieties that are often labeled as yams in the United States.
Why the confusion?
In the United States, firm varieties of sweet potatoes were produced before soft varieties. When soft varieties were first grown commercially, there was a need to differentiate between the two. African slaves had already been calling the ‘soft’ sweet potatoes ‘yams’ because they resembled the yams in Africa. Thus, ‘soft’ sweet potatoes were referred to as ‘yams’ to distinguish them from the ‘firm’ varieties.

Today the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires labels with the term ‘yam’ to be accompanied by the term ‘sweet potato.’ Unless you specifically search for yams, which are usually found in an international market, you are probably eating sweet potatoes!

[Suave_Howss]

The only difference I know is that Yams are orange and IMO taste better.

http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/sweetpotato.jpg

Sweet potatoes are yellow and have a slightly different texture.

http://blog.superhealthykids.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/PB050263copy_thumb.jpg

AND according to this site: http://blog.superhealthykids.com/2009/11/sweet-potatoes/
Is one healthier than the other? YES! Yams, with its rich orange color has more vitamins. The more colorful your fruits or vegetables are, the more nutrients they have.

[GirlyMuscle]

While playing house in Australia last year...

U6pgqKK_F90

[Sledge]

Actually, they aren't the same thing but nutritionally they are very similar. I couldn't answer your question in detail so I relied on google.

A cut and paste...

Although yams and sweet potatoes are both angiosperms (flowering plants), they are not related botanically. Yams are a monocot (a plant having one embryonic seed leaf) and from the Dioscoreaceae or Yam family. Sweet Potatoes, often called ‘yams’, are a dicot (a plant having two embryonic seed leaves) and are from the Convolvulacea or morning glory family.

Yams
Yams are closely related to lilies and grasses. Native to Africa and Asia, yams vary in size from that of a small potato to a record 130 pounds (as of 1999). There are over 600 varieties of yams and 95% of these crops are grown in Africa. Compared to sweet potatoes, yams are starchier and drier.

Sweet Potatoes
The many varieties of sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are members of the morning glory family, Convolvulacea. The skin color can range from white to yellow, red, purple or brown. The flesh also ranges in color from white to yellow, orange, or orange-red. Sweet potato varieties are classified as either ‘firm’ or ‘soft’. When cooked, those in the ‘firm’ category remain firm, while ‘soft’ varieties become soft and moist. It is the ‘soft’ varieties that are often labeled as yams in the United States.
Why the confusion?
In the United States, firm varieties of sweet potatoes were produced before soft varieties. When soft varieties were first grown commercially, there was a need to differentiate between the two. African slaves had already been calling the ‘soft’ sweet potatoes ‘yams’ because they resembled the yams in Africa. Thus, ‘soft’ sweet potatoes were referred to as ‘yams’ to distinguish them from the ‘firm’ varieties.

Today the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires labels with the term ‘yam’ to be accompanied by the term ‘sweet potato.’ Unless you specifically search for yams, which are usually found in an international market, you are probably eating sweet potatoes!


You had me at morning glory.

[youknowmysteez]

yams are more calorie dence per ounce compared to sweet potatos with a slightly lower glycemic index. sweet potatos contain more sugar they are not the same!


Yam: http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-yam-i11602

sweet potato: http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-sweetpotato-i11508

[MeatHead4Life]

While playing house in Australia last year...

U6pgqKK_F90


Holy Shit, you have some HUGE YAMS!!

oh and those potatos are big too

[joe d]

as far as your diet goes they are really the same thing. gi is just about the same and everything else is just about the same. the sweet potato is slightly better