Instructions: How about some food small talk for your holiday meal. Is it a yam or a sweet potato? What do you think?

A "true yam" is a large, starchy root (up to 100 pounds) that is native to Africa and Asia.

We seldom find "true yams" in the United States. What we do find are two varieties of sweet potatoes: one is moist and orange-fleshed; the other is drier and yellow. Both plants are native to America.

Shippers and producers in the Southern United States wanted to distinguish between the yellow and orange variety, so they adopted the African word "nyami," using its English form, "yam."

The yam and the sweet potato in our local stores both are very high in vitamin A, while the "true yam" has no vitamin A. Some stores list the nutrient content for "true yams," so consumers mistakenly think that the yam (really a sweet potato) has no vitamin A.

One-half cup sweet potatoes or yams contains 170 calories - 560 percent of the daily value for vitamin A, 46 percent of the daily value for vitamin C and calorie diet).

Nutritious? Yes. So here are some suggestions on how to incorporate more sweet potatoes or yams into your diet:
Wash, prick in several places with a fork, and bake for 30-60 minutes

(depending on the size) or boil for 20-30 minutes. Both versions can be mashed and eaten as is, topped with some brown sugar and nutmeg.

Peel a small sweet potato or yam and chop into bite-size pieces. Add to your favorite homemade vegetable soup.

Slice thin and serve raw with other vegetable dippers.

Slice thin, coat lightly with oil and bake on a cookie sheet until crisp like a chip.

See the yam/sweet potato recipes (supra) in this file.

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