Comments on: The Sweet Potato vs. Yam Debate on “Weekend America” (which one do you use?) http://zoebakes.com/?p=1289 Just another WordPress weblog Wed, 08 Sep 2010 02:23:10 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Sarah http://zoebakes.com/?p=1289#comment-9801 Sarah Mon, 16 Aug 2010 21:34:23 +0000 http://zoebakes.com/?p=1289#comment-9801 This has been very insightful. I've worked in a produce department for 5 years, and was never questioned about a "true yam" until today. Therefore did not know there was such a huge difference between yams and sweet potatoes. I am going to have to go search out this Shuang Hur Market being that I live here in Minneapolis. And I am very excited to try some of these recipes! Thanks! @ Ruth B- the photo starts top left going clockwise... This has been very insightful. I’ve worked in a produce department for 5 years, and was never questioned about a “true yam” until today. Therefore did not know there was such a huge difference between yams and sweet potatoes. I am going to have to go search out this Shuang Hur Market being that I live here in Minneapolis. And I am very excited to try some of these recipes! Thanks!

@ Ruth B- the photo starts top left going clockwise…

]]> By: Beth http://zoebakes.com/?p=1289#comment-8727 Beth Wed, 30 Jun 2010 02:25:10 +0000 http://zoebakes.com/?p=1289#comment-8727 That's not ube. That's purple sweet potato, also known Okinawan purple sweet potato. That’s not ube. That’s purple sweet potato, also known Okinawan purple sweet potato.

]]> By: Claudia http://zoebakes.com/?p=1289#comment-8112 Claudia Sat, 12 Jun 2010 14:32:40 +0000 http://zoebakes.com/?p=1289#comment-8112 Zoe, Thank you for writing about this in plain English (with pictures!)! This is something that has always bugged the hell out of me. I love sweet potatoes and became intensely confused when I moved out of Obscure, PA to Koreatown in Los Angeles where the variety of sweet potatoes opened up for me. The Sweet "Yam", as you called, it is a Korean Sweet Potato. It is indeed a sweet potato and one of my favorites but I have not had the chance to try some of the more exotic varieties you experimented with. To my overwhelming delight, these are very common in Los Angeles. There are even coffee shops that use it in their specialty drinks. A popular Korean coffee shop called Heyri has a "Sweet potato latte" that has over-boiled sweet potato with milk and sugar. Freakin' delish. Sadly, I've moved from LA to South Carolina where the traditional Jewel Yam is everywhere (and cheap at .35 cents a pound!) but not a single Korean sweet potato in site! I am trying to locate a place that sells seeds for the Korean Sweet Potato variety so I can keep that last vestige of LA closest to my heart and on my plate! Great site, Zoe. Keep up the amazing work! Claudia Zoe,

Thank you for writing about this in plain English (with pictures!)! This is something that has always bugged the hell out of me. I love sweet potatoes and became intensely confused when I moved out of Obscure, PA to Koreatown in Los Angeles where the variety of sweet potatoes opened up for me.

The Sweet “Yam”, as you called, it is a Korean Sweet Potato. It is indeed a sweet potato and one of my favorites but I have not had the chance to try some of the more exotic varieties you experimented with.

To my overwhelming delight, these are very common in Los Angeles. There are even coffee shops that use it in their specialty drinks. A popular Korean coffee shop called Heyri has a “Sweet potato latte” that has over-boiled sweet potato with milk and sugar. Freakin’ delish.

Sadly, I’ve moved from LA to South Carolina where the traditional Jewel Yam is everywhere (and cheap at .35 cents a pound!) but not a single Korean sweet potato in site! I am trying to locate a place that sells seeds for the Korean Sweet Potato variety so I can keep that last vestige of LA closest to my heart and on my plate!

Great site, Zoe. Keep up the amazing work!

Claudia

]]> By: Elaine from Cookware Help http://zoebakes.com/?p=1289#comment-7215 Elaine from Cookware Help Sat, 03 Apr 2010 12:05:19 +0000 http://zoebakes.com/?p=1289#comment-7215 This is pretty thorough explanation of the differences between sweet potatoes and yams. You did a fantastic work with all these researches and experiments. Great! For me, purple yam is still the best among these sweet potato varieties. This is pretty thorough explanation of the differences between sweet potatoes and yams. You did a fantastic work with all these researches and experiments. Great!

For me, purple yam is still the best among these sweet potato varieties.

]]> By: zoe http://zoebakes.com/?p=1289#comment-7139 zoe Sat, 27 Mar 2010 14:00:13 +0000 http://zoebakes.com/?p=1289#comment-7139 Hi Ana, Thank you so much for the note. You have me craving yams again! Zoë Hi Ana,

Thank you so much for the note. You have me craving yams again!

Zoë

]]> By: Ana http://zoebakes.com/?p=1289#comment-7114 Ana Tue, 23 Mar 2010 21:18:29 +0000 http://zoebakes.com/?p=1289#comment-7114 Hi, This particular topic has been a discussion in our home for many years. The "sweet yam" you have pictured above is something I grew up on and still enjoy to this day. I was born on the Island of Terceira Azores, Portugal and there they call it "Batata doce," which translates to sweet potato. We live in Plymouth, Massachusetts now and we are only able to find this particular yam in portuguese stores in the New Bedford and Fall River area. In these stores it is labeled sweet potato or japanese yam. Hence the ongoing discussion of what it is actually called. This yam has it's own distinct taste it is extremely smooth and sweet and wonderful. It's sweetness is intensified, the closer you eat towards the center of the yam. In portugal they call it the heart of the yam. When sliced in half you can see a slight color difference from the outer edge to the more concentrated center. In our family we boil them w/ a pinch of sea salt and serve peeled with a drizzle of olive oil. We also make a hearty vegetable kale soup and serve it with a few slices of this yam to top off the bowl. We also slice it and pan saute in a bit of olive oil, until a carmelization takes place and accompany it with eggs for breakfast or a wonderful fresh piece of broiled fish for dinner. Simply delicous! Hi, This particular topic has been a discussion in our home for many years. The “sweet yam” you have pictured above is something I grew up on and still enjoy to this day. I was born on the Island of Terceira Azores, Portugal and there they call it “Batata doce,” which translates to sweet potato. We live in Plymouth, Massachusetts now and we are only able to find this particular yam in portuguese stores in the New Bedford and Fall River area. In these stores it is labeled sweet potato or japanese yam. Hence the ongoing discussion of what it is actually called. This yam has it’s own distinct taste it is extremely smooth and sweet and wonderful. It’s sweetness is intensified, the closer you eat towards the center of the yam. In portugal they call it the heart of the yam. When sliced in half you can see a slight color difference from the outer edge to the more concentrated center. In our family we boil them w/ a pinch of sea salt and serve peeled with a drizzle of olive oil. We also make a hearty vegetable kale soup and serve it with a few slices of this yam to top off the bowl. We also slice it and pan saute in a bit of olive oil, until a carmelization takes place and accompany it with eggs for breakfast or a wonderful fresh piece of broiled fish for dinner. Simply delicous!

]]> By: SimpleSue http://zoebakes.com/?p=1289#comment-7053 SimpleSue Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:26:50 +0000 http://zoebakes.com/?p=1289#comment-7053 Fabulous info and recipes! Thanks! Fabulous info and recipes! Thanks!

]]> By: J.D. http://zoebakes.com/?p=1289#comment-6941 J.D. Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:11:53 +0000 http://zoebakes.com/?p=1289#comment-6941 Great article, I can't think you enough for clarifying all this. BTW, Cooking sweet potatoes in a pressure cooker is fast and brings out the flavor, too. Great article, I can’t think you enough for clarifying all this.

BTW, Cooking sweet potatoes in a pressure cooker is fast and brings out the flavor, too.

]]> By: Ruth B http://zoebakes.com/?p=1289#comment-6807 Ruth B Tue, 26 Jan 2010 22:49:34 +0000 http://zoebakes.com/?p=1289#comment-6807 So... what's the difference? Which is which? (I don't understand the photo label -- from the top, ok, got that, the top one is labelled. But the others? Right to left? Counterclockwise?) I did a search on Google for the difference, this blog was one of the top returns, but this doesn't really tell the difference between them. Lovely photos, though, and I like the recipe offerings. So… what’s the difference? Which is which?
(I don’t understand the photo label — from the top, ok, got that, the top one is labelled. But the others? Right to left? Counterclockwise?)
I did a search on Google for the difference, this blog was one of the top returns, but this doesn’t really tell the difference between them.
Lovely photos, though, and I like the recipe offerings.

]]> By: Sylvia http://zoebakes.com/?p=1289#comment-6644 Sylvia Sat, 02 Jan 2010 02:21:27 +0000 http://zoebakes.com/?p=1289#comment-6644 It's really nice to know the difference in all of these! To be completely honest, I wasn't aware that there was a difference in a yam and sweet potato, I thought they were interchangeable. I'm so glad the great debate is clarified! And to answer your question, I use a different one every year! -Sylvia It’s really nice to know the difference in all of these! To be completely honest, I wasn’t aware that there was a difference in a yam and sweet potato, I thought they were interchangeable. I’m so glad the great debate is clarified! And to answer your question, I use a different one every year!
-Sylvia

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