Yam a starchy tuber eaten throughout the world. Often confused with the sweet potato in North America, they come from a completely different plant family and are much more versatile. You name it, you can do it with a yam. Fry, mash, boil, bake, grill, barbecue, stew or grind into flour: the yam does them all. There are as many varieties of yam as there are ways to cook it. Yams can be served sweet or savoury and take other flavours well. They must always be served cooked as they are toxic when raw. They are known as yamaimo in Japan. In West Africa, yam flour is known as fufu or ‘pounded yam’ and mixed with water to make a thick dough to dip into soups and stews.
