Yams

The yam is a common name for members of the genus Dioscorea, with over 150 different varieties in a wide range of different shapes and sizes. They all have a brown, tough, inedible, bark-like skin with a white, yellow, orange or even purple sticky flesh.

With a texture somewhat similar to the potato, yams may be prepared in much the same way by boiling, baking, frying or chipping. They are a staple of West Indian and Caribbean cookery, where they are often mashed and served as an accompaniment to spicy stews.

The yam should not be confused with the sweet potato, which is often labelled incorrectly in North America as 'yam'. The two species are not related, and although they may be prepared in much the same way, true yams have a moister flesh than the sweet potato.