Yam Roots (True Yams)

True yams are rough skinned tubers from Africa and Asia. Most US stores sell sweet potatoes under the yam name.

Updated Oct 20, 2026. Edited by: Ilyass Ben Hakim.

Where to buy

African, Caribbean and Asian grocers stock true yams most reliably. Online sellers ship whole tubers, but freshness varies. Frozen cut yam and yam flour are easier to find than fresh.

Professional insight

Produce buyers check the cut ends and skin before weighing a yam.

Press both ends; soft spots mean rot inside.
Ask the grocer to cut a piece open.
White, firm flesh with no gray streaks is best.
Heavy for its size means it has not dried out.

Check the label

Sign or listing says yam or Dioscorea, not sweet potato.
Country of origin, often Ghana or Nigeria.
Variety named, such as puna, white or water yam.
Weight per tuber or per pound is stated.
Skin is rough and bark-like, not thin and smooth.
No mold on cut ends or wax patches.

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Yam or sweet potato?

Trait	True yam	Sweet potato
Plant group	Dioscorea, Dioscoreaceae family	Ipomoea batatas, morning glory family
Skin	Rough, dark, bark-like	Thin and smooth
Flesh	White to purple, dry and starchy	Orange or white, moist and sweet
Origin	Africa and Asia	The Americas

Safe use

Wear gloves when peeling if your hands itch.
Boil, fry or roast until soft all the way through.
Buy from food sellers, not garden or herbal suppliers.

Storage

Keep whole tubers in a cool, dry, airy spot.
Do not refrigerate whole yams; cold damages them.
Wrap cut ends and use the piece within days.
Peeled chunks can be frozen for later cooking.

Common uses

Pounded yam

Boiled yam beaten into a smooth dough for soups.

Boiled yam

Served with stews or egg sauce.

Fried yam

Thick slices fried until crisp outside.

Common questions

Are the yams in my supermarket real yams?: Usually not. Orange ones labeled yam in the US are sweet potatoes.
What is a puna yam?: A popular white-fleshed yam from Ghana, sold in many African grocers.
Can I grow yams from a store tuber?: Sometimes, but they need a long, warm season. Most US climates are too short.