Potato vs. Sweet Potato vs. Yam

[stassie]

Well, in New Zealand, we have yams and kumara (which come in different varieties - most common are red, gold and white). We don't really have anything which we call a sweet potato, but kumera comes closest, I guess.

(Pics below are of kumara (top) and yams (bottom)).

[GB]

I know this picture is kind of small, but these are actual yams. You can get an idea of the size.

[quicksilver]

I don't like either, except S. P. Fries. Go figure.

[stassie]

Yes - apparently what we call 'yams' are actually a member of the oxalis family. Who’da guessed?

[Jeff G.]

We always called them sweet potatoes, they are orange and are terrific baked, then put butter and brown sugar on them...

[attie]

Originally Posted by BBQ Mikey

The Great Debate has begun.

Wait until you get the Australian and the Kiwi versions mate -- then confusion shall reign

[attie]

Originally Posted by GB

I know this picture is kind of small, but these are actual yams. You can get an idea of the size.

Them's what those BIG guys in the Solomon Islands eat

[Michael in FtW]

True yams are starchy, white inside, and can be quite large (3-6 feet long) and almost never seen in the US except for in some specialty markets ... the things that are called "yams" in the US (up to about 1-foot long) are either mislabeled by ignorant grocers or a variety of orange sweet potatoes from Louisiana. Andy M. was right about it being a marketing ploy for the orange variety of sweet potato - just the wrong side of the Mississippi river.
Sweet potatoes range from pale yellow to bright orange. Probably doesn't help in differentiating them from other potatoes - unless you look at the shape of the tuber, and the skin color.

As for nutrition ... I have never seen a comparison ... but I would assume they would be comperable. Starch is nothing more than just very long chains of sugar .....

[sahd0w]

That's strange. I have never heard of a white sweet potato, and I LOVE sweet potatoes! (Or are they yams? ;) ) I have known that yams are commonly eaten in African countries, and even used as a form of currency. I don't think I've ever tasted one, but I would imagine they are more similar to sweet potatoes than regular potatoes.