Sweetpotato vs. Yam
Question:
From Andrea...
Is there any real difference between a sweet potato and a yam? If not, then why do we have different names for the same thing? And did Al eat all his vegetables as a kid?
Answer:
Andrea: What a great question! In my spare time, which I have a lot of, I was wondering the same thing (only kidding).
I was quite surprised to read there is a big difference. First of all, sweetpotato is one word. I always thought it was two words.
They're not even from the same family. Here's the difference:
| Factor | Sweetpotato | Yam |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ipomoea batatas | Dioscorea Species |
| Plant Family | Morningglory (convolvulaceae) | Dioscoreaceae |
| Origin | Tropical America | West Africa, Asia (Peru, Ecuador) |
| Historical Beginning | Prehistoric | 50,000 BC |
| Appearance | Orange fleshed, smooth | White colored flesh with thin skin rough, scaly |
| Shape | Short, blocky, tapered ends | Long, cylindrical, some with toes |
| Mouth Feel | Moist | Dry |
| Taste | Sweet | Starchy |
| Beta Carotene | High | Very low |
| Growing Season | 90-150 days | 180 – 360 days |
| Availability | Grown in USA | Imported from Caribbean |
Sweetpotato
Yam
Although the terms are generally used interchangeably, the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture requires that the label "yam" always be accompanied by "sweetpotato".
I got this information from www.ces.ncsu.edu.
Al wasn’t a fussy eater growing up. He tried everything in his plate. If he didn't like it, we didn't force him to eat it.
I think it's good to let kids try everything but not to force them to eat it. I think that causes problems later on in life.
There are only two things that I can think of now that he won't eat and that's bananas and eggplant due to the fact that he got sick on both a few years ago (ate too much of both) and won't try eating them again.
Note from Al: That's not entirely true -- I had a banana one morning in college, and it made me sick. Since then, each time I have one, it makes me queasy. The eggplant is true, and deserves its own Weeblo story soon, tentatively titled, "My One-Week Love Affair with Eggplant - Too Much, Too Soon".
Keep your questions coming!
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