Would you like Yam or Sweet Potato Fries with that?

Answer: sweet potato fries…but only because yam fries don’t exist!

I know, I know—you had some last night with your burger, but the restaurant tricked you as ‘yams’ are seldom seen in mainstream North American markets! That sugary, moist, orange tuber found in grocery stores is actually a sweet potato. So why the confusion? In the 1930’s a marketing campaign in the States started labeling sweet potatoes as yams – was this by accident or on purpose? I guess only those mad men will know!

Here’s what a real yam looks like:

There are over 400 varieties of sweet potato. However, the different varieties can be divided into two groups: those with dry flesh and those with moist flesh. Fun fact – the sweet potato is not related to the potato???

Seriously, who names these vegetables???

Next time you make the classic meat and potatoes dish, try substituting the potatoes for sweet potatoes, which are an excellent source of vitamin A. Helpful tip – the more colored the sweet potato, the more vitamin A it contains.

Also, as mentioned last post, Health Canada recommends we eat at least one dark green and one orange vegetable each day. So, if you’re carrot-ed out already, sweet potatoes are an excellent alternative.

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Image courtesy of VeleriaBoltneva