How to find the right Fresh Yams AI guide
Written by an AI model from its trained knowledge.
What the AI looks for in Fresh Yams
- True yam vs. sweet potato
- Check whether the listing is a true yam (Dioscorea, rough bark-like skin, white or purple starchy flesh) or an orange sweet potato sold as a 'yam'. They cook and taste very differently, and listings often mix the terms.
- Soundness
- Flesh at any cut end should be moist and free of mould. The tuber should be hard with no soft patches. True yams are often sold in cut sections, which spoil from the cut surface.
- Cook before eating
- True yams are always cooked, never eaten raw. Raw yam can irritate and is not eaten raw in any cuisine that uses it.
Brands that matter
- Melissa's: Specialty produce distributor that carries less common tubers. Check the variety on the listing.
What to avoid
- Listings that say 'yam' but show orange-skinned sweet potatoes, if you need a true yam
- Cut yam sections that look dried, discoloured or mouldy at the cut end
Questions
Why does yam make my hands itch when peeling?
Many true yams contain irritant crystals in the skin layer. Wearing gloves or peeling under running water helps.