Global Demand for Sweet Potatoes Up- How often do you eat sweet potatoes? (French, onions)

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Mikala43

I AM a little confused with the orange ones versus yams. Are they the same or not?

Yes, they are the same, at least as far as American markets go. The ones mislabeled "yams" are actually orange colored, soft sweet potatoes. The other sweet potatoes are yellow and firm, but more crumbly in texture.

In the interest of science, here's another article that explains the difference between the two, and why there's a weird name thing going on, since neither is actually a yam...

What's The Difference Between Sweet Potatoes and Yams?

[eggalegga]

Not at all...don't like 'em. Don't like sweet things. Tried the sweet potato waffle fries, too sweet.

[Cliffie]

I never seem to think of them in summer -- they are still right there in the store but I associate them with the holidays -- but I eat them all through the cold months. I just scrub and bake for the most part, but they are also great baked in a casserole with cranberries and apples.

[EugeneOnegin]

Originally Posted by Mikala43

We eat them maybe once a week, instead of russets and stuff. I eat the purple and the orange. I AM a little confused with the orange ones versus yams. Are they the same or not? I just buy them them all and add them when I do roasted veggies.

A lot of people in the US, especially in the south, refer to the orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (as opposed to the ones with whiter flesh) as yams even though they're completely different and unrelated plants. It goes back to the colonial days when Africans saw the superficial resemblance to yams. Most Americans have never even seen a real yam. They are starchy and bland and come from Africa, while sweet potatoes are sweeter and come from South America.

Yams often get huge too.



I always find it funny how right around Christmas all the sweet potatoes in the US magically morph into yams.

It's ignorant and kind annoying but that's food nomenclature for you...

I believe the USDA requires that if companies label them as "yams" that they also have to have sweet potato written somewhere on the label.

[OpenD]

Sweet potatoes make a good companion for chicken. I chunk them up for stir-fries, or layer medallions of each over a bed of rice with a soy/ginger sauce.

And here's a really good stew/soup (she calls it a stoup) made with sweet potatoes and chicken, by Rachel Ray...

Smoky Sweet Potato Chicken Stoup Recipe : Rachael Ray : Recipes : Food Network

[Ameriscot]

Once every week or two - chopped up in curry or in soup, or sometimes just nuked and smashed with butter.

[OpenD]

Here's another variation of the chicken and sweet potato theme... an easy cream of sweet potato soup made with chicken broth. Yum!

Cream of Sweet Potato Soup Recipe - Allrecipes.com

[no kudzu]

I used to make them for babyfood. I would peel and bake with a tiny bit of maple syrup and cinnamon or just plain with butter, then mash them up and freeze in ice trays. Easy to defrost and just the right size for baby's meal. Also great for teething baby.

[Sweet*Tea]

Not a fan of sweet potatoes and never purchase them to eat. That said, sweet potato fries aren't bad and I have eaten sweet potato soufflés that were delicious.

[Mikala43]

I just found a couple recipes for roasted (or grilled) sweet potato and arugula salads.... Guess I'll be eating even more.