So, here is the simple takeaway for your next shopping trip. If you are in a standard grocery store, assume it is a sweet potato unless it prominently says “imported yam” or looks like a hairy log.
For baking and mashing, grab the orange-skinned, orange-fleshed “sweet potato” (the one falsely called a yam). It’s the star for pies and brown sugar deliciousness.
For roasting in chunks or making fries, pick the pale-skinned, pale-fleshed sweet potato. It’s the crisp champion.
And if you ever see a true yam in an international market? Buy it and try it. It’s amazing in African-style stews with peanuts and spices. You’ll finally taste the real deal.
Now go forth and conquer the produce aisle with confidence. You are no longer a victim of the great yam-sweet potato deception. You are a vegetable detective, and dinner just got a little bit smarter.