You got a delicious recipe in a website and you want to replicate the magic in your kitchen. You got all the ingredients but didn’t find sweet potatoes! Now how would you prepare the dish? Are there any substitutes for sweet potatoes? Can you substitute yams for sweet potatoes? Read on to know everything about it.
Sweet Potatoes – What Are They?
Sweet potatoes are tubers with a sweet flavor that originated in Central America. In the United States, the majority of tubers referred to be yams are really sweet potatoes.
The red sweet potato, the gem sweet potato, and the white sweet potato are the three types of sweet potatoes. Both the red and the gem are often referred to as “yams” in grocery shops throughout the United States.
Both the red and Jewel sweet potatoes contain orange flesh and are juicier than the yellow sweet potatoes. Typically, canned sweet potatoes are of the red kind. Sweet potatoes in cans are boiled and then canned. They can be baked, roasted, boiled, and can also be used in making pie.
What Exactly Are Yams?
Yams are native to South America and Central America, as well as some regions of Asia and Africa. Sweet potatoes are referred regarded as yams in the United States, despite the fact that they are a completely distinct species.
True yams are extremely rare in the United States, and those that are accessible are almost always found in Hispanic and Asian stores. True yams, like sweet potatoes, can be boiled, roasted, or baked. Certain varieties of yams can be rather dry in texture and are thus best cooked.
Can You Substitute Yams for Sweet Potatoes?
Yes, you can substitute yams for sweet potatoes. Indeed, tinned yams are truly sweet potatoes. The terms “sweet potatoes” and “yams” are interchangeable.
How Are Yams and Sweet Potatoes Different?
Sweet potatoes and yams are quite similar in many aspects, which is why they are sometimes misunderstood. To further complicate matters, canned sweet potatoes are sometimes branded as yams.
Sweet potatoes are native to Central America and are members of the morning glory family. There are two easily accessible variants. One has a pale skin, pale yellow meat, and a mealy, dry feel. The other kind has a black skin and a dark orange meat that cooks to a juicy consistency. This cultivar is frequently referred to as a yam.
True yams, on the other hand, are scarce in this nation and are rarely cultivated. They are, nevertheless, widely accessible throughout India, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, the South Pacific, and West Africa.
Though real yams are unlikely to be found at your grocery store, sweet potatoes and yams are interchangeable in the majority of recipes.