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| Sweet potatoes, botanically known as
Ipomoea batatas, are the root of a vine in the morning glory
family and native to the New World tropics. Its history dates
back to 750 B.C. in Peruvian records. Columbus brought the sweet
potato to the New World from the island of Saint Thomas. The Taino word for them was batatas which eventually became patata in Spanish, patae in French, and potato in English. At that time, potato referred to the sweet potato, and not the generic white potato as it does in English nowadays. In fact, according to noted food historian Waverly Root, the white potato did not arrive in the northern regions from South America until the late 17th century, more than a hundred years later. YamsThe true yam is the tuber of a tropical vine and is not even distantly related to the sweet potato.Slowly becoming more common in US markets, the yam is a popular vegetable in Latin American and Caribbean markets, with over 150 varieties available worldwide. Generally sweeter than than the sweet potato, this tuber can grow over seven feet in length. The word yam comes from African words njam, nyami, or djambi, meaning "to eat," and was first recorded in America in 1676. The yam tuber has a brown or black skin which resembles the bark of a tree and off-white, purple or red flesh, depending on the variety. They are at home growing in tropical climates, primarily in South America, Africa, and the Caribbean. Yams contain more natural sugar than sweet potatoes and have a higher moisture content. They are also marketed by their Spanish names, boniato and ñame. Sweet Potato and Yam Health InformationSweet potatoes are relatively low in calories and have no fat. They are rich in beta-carotene , having five times the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin A in one sweet potato, as well as loaded with potassium. These nutrients help to protect against heart attack and stroke. The potassium helps maintain fluid and electrolyte balance in the body cells, as well as normal heart function and blood pressure.Wild Mexican "yams" which are related to the sweet potato, seem to have anti-weight-gain, anti-cancer, and anti-aging properties, according to Dr. Earl Mindell. True yams do not contain as much Vitamin A and C as sweet potatoes. Got this information from: http://homecooking.about.com/od/foodhealthinformation/a/swpotatohealth.htm |