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Yams have been a staple food for many
cultures for thousands of years. There are today almost countless
varieties, of different shapes, sizes and colors and called different
names by different people. Most varieties are thought to have been
native to China, although they found their way to Africa at a very early
period and became a basic food, being easy to grow in tropical and
subtropical conditions, and containing the essential carbohydrate of all
staple foods.
Although cush-cush or Indian yam was
indigenous to America, most yams were introduced to the New World as a
result of the slave trade in the sixteenth century. Today with such a
huge variety of this popular vegetable available, there are innumerable
recipes for yam, many probably not printed and published, but handed
down by word of mouth from mother to daughter and making their
appearance at mealtimes all over the hot regions of the world.
Variety : The greater yam, as the name
suggests, can grow to a huge size. A weight of 62kg/150lb has been
recorded. The varieties you are likely to find in shops will be about
the size of a small marrow, although smaller yams are also available
such as the sweet yam, which looks like a large potato and is normally
covered with whiskery roots. All sizes have a coarse brown skin and can
be white or red-fleshed. In Chinese stores, you may find the Chinese
yam, which is more elongated, club-like shape and is covered with fine
whiskers.
Buying : Look out for firm specimens with
unbroken skins. The flesh inside should be creamy and moist and if you
buy from a grocery, the shopkeeper may well cut open a yam so you can
check that it is fresh. They can be stored for several weeks in a cool,
dark place.
Preparing : Peel away the skin
thickly to remove the outer skin and the layer underneath that contains
the poison dioscorine. This in fact is destroyed during cooking, but
discard the peel carefully. Place the peeled yam in salted water as it
discolors easily.
Cooking : Yams, like potatoes, are
used as the main starchy element in a meal, boiled and mashed, fried,
sauteed or roasted. They tend to have an affinity with spicy sauces and
are deliciously cut into discs, fried and sprinkled with a little salt
and cayenne pepper. African cooks frequently pound boiled yam to make a
dough which is them served with spicy stews and soups.
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