Japanese Yams are oval, with skinny, pointed ends. They are dark pink skin, and very pale yellowish-orange flesh. They are not actually a yam, but rather a sweet potato with a nutty flavour. They differ from the varieties of sweet potatoes available in North America in that they are sweeter, and they are not as…
Yams
Jinenjo
Jinenjo is a variety of the Japanese yams called “Yamaimo.” They have rough skin; the flesh inside is white, and starchy to the point of being mucilaginous. Old-timers swear that the Jinenjo yams cultivated these days are not as good as the ones that used to be gathered from the wild. The ones gathered from…
Nagaimo
Nagaimo is a variety of the Japanese yams called “Yamaimo.” This variety growns long and straight, somewhat thick at one end, making it look somewhat like a small baseball bat. It has rough, tan-coloured skin that is a bit hairy. The flesh inside is white. It is starchy, to the point of being mucilaginous; the…
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes © Denzil Green Sweet potatoes are the storage roots of a plant that is part of the morning glory family. Sweet potatoes aren’t actually even related to yams. Sweet potatoes aren’t actually related to potatoes, for that matter. Potatoes are tubers of a plant, whereas sweet potatoes are engorged storage roots. Sweet potatoes,…
Yamaimo
Yamaimo is a variety of yam cultivated in Japan. It has rough skin, but is white inside. Above ground, it is like a climbing vine. It can propagate via its tubers, or by seed. Plants are either male or female. Yamaimo is used as a binder in dishes because when you peel and grate it,…
Yams
Canned Yams © Denzil Green Yams are very long tubers (up to several feet long.) They are cylindrical-shaped, with rough, brown scaly skin that looks a bit like tree bark. Yam production Yams are tropical roots native to Africa, but now grown around the world. They will not grow in temperate climates such as North…