Ipomaea Batatas is a type of sweet potato, which is actually not a real potato, and belongs to separate species. It is part of another plant family - Convolvulaceae. It is a perennial species belonging to the morning glory family. It is also known by the names Pattaya, or earth apple.
It is a great and tasty root originating from tropical areas of America. There are many varieties, but the two most common are brlight and dark skinned sweet potato, called a yam by Americans. In tropical regions of America, yams form highly gifted-rich carbohydrates tubers. Although they are similar chemically to potatoes, they still have a very different taste.
Yams are one of the oldest crops, but today there are a large number of their varieties - about 400 varieties. Evidence that it has been known to man since prehistoric times were discovered in Peruvian caves, these artifacts are dated to 10, 000 years BC.
The English word "potato" comes from the Spanish word "batata", meaning "sweet potato" (Ipmoea batatas). It is known that the sweet potato was brought by Christopher Columbus himself who discovered it in the Caribbean. Actually, ordinary potato has a distant relationship with the sweet potato. The two roots are similar, and in fact in both cultures pf which we consume the underground part, which was the reason for centuries people often confused sweet potato and potato. Between the two types, there is a difference in shape, color and the skin crust and core.
Today, about 90% of yams are grown in Asia, so they are particularly popular there. Yams are considered among the most nutritious plant products in the world. The inside of the yam can be of a varying color - the most common orange. It is believed that it is healthier than regular potato and cultivated for its rich carbohydrate underground tubers. They are usually white, yellow, pink or red. They reach up to 30 cm in length and weigh up to 500.
Composition of yams
3.5 oz (100 g) of yams contains between 84-90 kcal. These bulbs have a large amount of starch - 10-30%. 6% are sugars, and there is a lot of vitamin A, B, and C, salts of potassium, manganese, phosphorus, iron and others.
Yams have a lot of sugar and carotene, but no fat and cholesterol. Yams are quite low in sodium and are a good source of fiber. Yams have a low glycemic index and can be consumed by diabetics without any worries.
Chinese sweet potatoes contain a glycoside, choline, antioxidants, numerous vitamins, folic acid, many amino acids and other nutrients.
3.5 oz (100g) sweet potato contains:
Vitamin A - 709 mg
-SS carotene - 8509 mg
Thiamine ( vitamin B1 ) - 0.1 mg
Riboflavin ( Vitamin B2 ) - 0.1 mg
Niacin ( Vitamin B3 ) - 0.61 mg
Pantothenic acid ( Vitamin B5 ) - 0.8 mg
Vitamin B6 - 0.2 mg
Folate ( Vitamin B9 ) - 11 mg
Vitamin C - 2.4 mg
Calcium - 30 mg
Iron - 0.6 mg
Magnesium - 25 mg
Phosphorus - 47 mg
Potassium - 337 mg
Zinc - 0.3 mg
Calories - 90 kcal (360 kJ)
Types of yam
There is a great diversity in varieties of sweet potatoes. In sugar, they are divided into sweet, semisweet and savory. Savory yams are eaten as potatoes - baked, boiled or fried.
Semi-sweet yams are reminiscent of walnut or chestnut. Can be eaten raw or similar to the previous species - after all heat treatments.
Sweet yams are used just as their fruit is prepared fresh, with wine or other alcohol. The ground part of the plant is used too- the young leaves are put in salads.
Selecting and storing yams
When buying yams, choose ones that are flat and smooth skin. Avoid bulbs with bruises, injuries and soft places. Do not buy frozen yams because they don’t have the taste and beneficial properties. Note that yams deteriorate much faster than potatoes.
Keep yams in a dark, cool and dry place at a temperature not exceeding 60°F (15 °C). The higher the humidity in the room is, the more quickly they deteriorate. Do not store raw yams in a refrigerator. Properly stored yams can be kept for a week to 10 days. Once cooked, you can keep them refrigerated for about a week.
Culinary use of yams
Extremely tasty and with a pleasant sweet taste, yams are prepared as we used to prepare conventional potato. We put emphasis on the difference that with sweet potato are prepared quite delicious cakes too, while ordinary potatoes see no such use. Roots are the only edible part of the yams. The leaves of this vegetable are used in a manner similar to those of spinach.
Often yams are prepared boiled, baked, sautéed, added to various cooked dishes, soups, or they make a paste. Marinated grilled meat with sweet potato is guaranteed to be delicious and slices of sweet potato can be baked, or even grilled. Sweet potato can be added to cake, pancakes and savory soufflés. Moreover, you can cook it without fat, which is good for your waistline.
Guaranteed method for their preparation is roasting in the oven. Besides the main dish, sweet potato can be used to prepare the dessert. Additionally, yams are also used for the production of alcohol, starch, a flour, and flakes.
Very popular are Oriental sweet potato flakes. In China you can find sweet potato chips covered with sugar in the United States they prefer them salted, in Bangladesh this kind of chips are seasoned with cayenne pepper and citric acid.
Benefits of yams
Protein in yams possess antioxidant properties, which automatically makes them an extremely valuable and useful food. Yams are a recommended food for people suffering from cardio - vascular diseases, cancer of the small intestine, orcolon cancer. They do not cause constipation, and reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease and obesity.
It is believed that the yams prevent asthma, osteoporosis or rheumatoid arthritis. They are an ideal food for the elderly and pregnant women.
In China, they have traditionally been used as a remedy for diabetes, frequent urination, chronic fatigue, diarrhea, asthma, coughing, loss of appetite, and impotence.
The presence of beta-carotene in sweet potatoes that helps the body deal with free radicals. The sweet taste of the yams, and in particular the substances that cause it, help the blood to be purified and maintain normal levels of blood pressure. Regular consumption of sweet potato is good for stomach ulcers as a positive influence and eliminates the possibility of inflammation of the colon.
Great nutritional value of yams makes them suitable food for people undergoing one or another type of exercise. Among other things, yams consumed as breakfast can help you lose weight because they create a feeling of fullness for hours.
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