Yam (vegetable)
Yam (vegetable)
Yam (/jæm/), from the Portuguese inhame or nyami, which means "to eat", is a common name for some plant species in the genus Dioscorea that form edible tubers. Yams are perennial herbaceous vines cultivated for the consumption of their starchy tubers in many temperate and tropical regions, especially in Africa, South America and the Caribbean, Asia, and Oceania.
Etymology
The word "yam" comes from Portuguese inhame or nyami, which means "to eat". The Portuguese first encountered the yam through their contact with West Africa, where the vegetable is a staple food source.
Description
Yams are herbaceous plants that are cultivated for their edible tubers. The tubers themselves are usually a vivid violet-purple to bright lavender in color (hence the common name 'purple yam'), but some range in color from white to pink to yellow to purple. The tubers are high in Vitamin C, dietary fiber, Vitamin B6, and manganese, while being low in saturated fat and sodium.
Cultivation
Yams are typically grown in the Tropics and are planted using small pieces of mature tubers. The tubers are usually harvested after a growing period of 6 to 9 months, when the leaves begin to yellow and die back.
Related Terms
- Dioscorea: The genus of flowering plants which yams belong to.
- Tropics: The region of the Earth surrounding the equator where yams are typically grown.
- Vitamin C: A vitamin that is an essential nutrient involved in the repair of tissue, which yams are high in.
- Vitamin B6: A vitamin that is needed for several functions in the body, which yams are also high in.
- Caribbean: A region where yams are a staple food source.
- Africa: A continent where yams are a staple food source.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Yam (vegetable)
- Wikipedia's article - Yam (vegetable)
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