Yams
If you've ever shopped for produce in a U.S. grocery store, you've probably seen yams and sweet potatoes on display. Generally, the ones labeled "yams" have reddish skin and orange flesh, while the sweet potatoes have gold-colored skin and white flesh. Yet scientifically speaking, those yams aren't yams at all; they're really a variety of sweet potato. True yams are native to Asia and Africa and belong to their own family of plants. They have rough, bark-like brown skin and dry, starchy flesh. True yams are not often stocked in U.S. grocery stores. Sweet potatoes, on the other hand, belong to the morning glory family of plants and are widely grown in the United States. Unlike true yams, which are tubers, or underground stems, sweet potatoes are roots, like carrots.
Yams and sweet potatoes are often confused with each other in U.S. grocery stores, but they are actually different. The ones labeled as "yams" in the stores are not true yams, but rather a variety of sweet potatoes. True yams are native to Asia and Africa and have rough, bark-like brown skin and dry, starchy flesh. They belong to their own family of plants.
The sweet potatoes that are commonly found in U.S. grocery stores, on the other hand, belong to the morning glory family of plants and are widely grown in the United States. These sweet potatoes have gold-colored skin and white flesh. They are roots, similar to carrots, whereas true yams are tubers, or underground stems.
To differentiate between yams and sweet potatoes, you can look at their characteristics. True yams have reddish skin and orange flesh, while the sweet potatoes that are labeled as "yams" have gold-colored skin and white flesh. Keep in mind that these "yams" are not actually yams but a type of sweet potato.
If you are specifically looking for true yams, they are not often found in U.S. grocery stores. You might have to visit specialty or international markets that carry Asian or African produce in order to find them.
It's important to note that the confusion between yams and sweet potatoes is mainly a regional distinction in the United States. In other parts of the world, such as Africa and Asia, true yams are commonly consumed and are a staple food in many cultures.