• General

The yam is a starchy tuber vegetable that grows as a perennial herbaceous vine in Africa (predominantly West Africa), Asia, Latin America and Oceania and for which there are as number of different cultivars. It is interesting to know that in some part of the United States and Canada the sweet potato is sometimes referred to as yam, but although they do look similar, this is incorrect as they are a totally different plant species.

The yam has a rough skin that varies in colour from dark brown to light pink and is difficult to peel, but softens after heating. The flesh of the yam is often referred to as the ‘meat’ and ranges in colour from white or yellow to purple or pink in ripe yams. Yam tubers can grow up to 2.5 m in length and weigh up to 70 kg!

Yams were first cultivated in Africa and Asia about 8000 B.C. they remain a primary agricultural commodity in West Africa and New Guinea and are an important source of food in these regions. The tubers can be stored for up to six months without refrigeration, which makes them a valuable resource for the yearly period of food scarcity at the beginning of the wet season. The yam is a versatile vegetable which can be braaied, roasted, fried, grilled, boiled and smoked and when grated it can even be made into a desert. It is however most commonly eaten peeled and boiled. The boiled yam can also be pounded with a traditional mortar and pestle to create a thick starchy paste known as pounded yam, that is eaten with traditional stews and sauces. Another method of preparation of yams in Africa, is to sun-dry the raw yam pieces which then turn dark brown in colour color. This is then milled to create a powder known in Nigeria as ‘elubo’ in Nigeria which is then boiled with water to create a thick brown starchy paste known as ‘amala’ that is eaten together with stews or traditional sauces. It is important to know that yams of African species must be cooked to be safely eaten, because various natural substances in raw yams can cause illness.


Did you know?

• In Nigeria and Ghana a Yam Festival is usually held at the end of the rainy season when yams are the first crops to be harvested. People offer yams to the gods and ancestors as a way of giving thanks to the spirits, before distributing them to the villagers.
• There is also a fruit that begins with Y – it is a Japanese fruit called Yamamomo or the Mountain Peach. It is about the size of a cherry or strawberry and in fact has an appearance similar to a berry. It has both an underlying sweetness and a level of acidity, which makes it very refreshing to eat.