Yams in South Africa

Is Yam  common in South Africa?

A well known South African yam is Dioscorea elephantipes that occurs from the Clanwilliam area in the Western Cape to Graaff Reinet in the Eastern Cape. It is affectionately termed Elephant’s Foot, due to its large, protruding, above-ground tuber that sometimes reaches 2 m in height.

Are sweet potatoes and yams the same thing?

No. sweet potato is that sweet, orange-colored root vegetable that you love so dearly. While a yam is a starchy edible root of the Dioscorea genus, and is generally imported to America from Africa. It is rough and scaly and very low in beta carotene. Also, sweetpotato flesh can vary from white to orange and even purple.

Also,  Sweet potatoes are almost always sweeter than yams.  They have versatile flavor easily altered by cooking methods. While, Starchier and more potato-like, usually not very sweet. Versatile; flavor easily altered by cooking methods.

Furthermore, Sweet Potatoes are very nutritious and have more sugar, protein, calcium, iron, sodium, vitamin A, beta-carotene, and water than yams do. While, yams are also very nutritious and have more fat, carbs, fiber, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and vitamin E than sweetpotatoes do.

Do you get yams in South Africa?

Yes, in South Africa, yams  occur in tropical and warm temperate regions of the world including parts of southern Africa. Many of the 400 or so species in the main genus, Dioscorea, are vines with edible, starchy tubers and are commonly known as yams.

Is yam and cassava the same?

No. Yams, sweet potatoes, and cassava are classed as tuberous root vegetables that come from a flowering plant but are not related and do not have much in common.