Tips for Baking Yams
One of the oldest foods known on the planet, baking yams continues to be a favorite way to eat this food that is as nutritious as it is delicious.
Many people mistakenly believe that a yam and a sweet potato are one and the same. In fact, many grocery stores display the sweet potato with the label of “yam”, perhaps out of ignorance or perhaps simply to market the product to those who are unaware of the difference between the two vegetables. There are several similarities; both are root vegetables, both possess the same basic shape, the taste of each resembles the other and each is nutritious. Despite these likenesses, the yam and the sweet potato are members of two distinctly different plant families. The yam is a tuber, as is the sweet potato, but the yam is the product of a tropical vine plant that is indigenous to Africa and Asia. Unlike sweet potatoes, most yam varieties are not sweet in flavor at all; instead, they present a rich, earthy flavor. A good method of determining whether the long, slender vegetable in the grocery store is a yam or a sweet potato is in its appearance; sweet potatoes are generally pale yellow to deep orange in color, while the yam often features a darker skin color of purplish brown. Since there are lighter species of yams, it can be confusing to distinguish one from the other, so when in doubt it is best to simply ask the grocer for clarification on the exact type of vegetable. Once the flavor of yams has been experienced, there will no longer be any question as to the difference between the two vegetables.
Yams are a highly nutritious vegetable that is beneficial to the overall health. Complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber make this vegetable valuable for use as a weight loss tool, serving to fill the tummy without fat or cholesterol. It contains protein, vitamins A, C, D, K, B6 and B12, an excellent source of magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and calcium as well as being low on the glycemic load scale. With so many healthful attributes, a yam is almost a complete food; containing protein, minimal fats, omega 6 fatty acids, complex carbs and dietary fiber necessary to full body function.
In order to take the best advantage of the health benefits, roasting or baking yams provides the best method of preparing them. While the vegetable can also be boiled, steamed or pureed with delicious results, the highest nutritional value is realized when it is either baked or roasted within its own skin. In fact, the oldest recorded method of preparing these tubers was by simply burying the raw vegetable in the ashes of a smoldering camp fire until the flesh was fully cooked. After scrubbing the skin of the yam, prick the tuber several times all over with a fork or pierce in several areas with a sharp knife to vent, then place in the oven on the rack until the flesh is pliable and soft. The time for baking will depend upon the size of the yam.
An equally delicious and nutritious means of roasting the yams is to cut them in chunks and combine them with a variety of other root vegetables such as onions, carrots and parsnips, lightly tossed with a small amount of olive oil. Vegetarians can enjoy this type of recipe, especially when combined with mushrooms, as a hearty meal choice. It is also a wonderful accompaniment as a side dish alongside a meat such as beef, venison or ham.
Baking yams to enjoy as a healthy meal is a method that has been used for centuries and one that continues to be just as popular today as it was then.