Cushcush yam (Dioscorea trifida)

Cushcush yam (Dioscorea trifida), also called mapuey or ñame mapuey (a name that is also loosely applied to other species), igname couche-couche, ñame morado, yampi, ñampi, and on and on, seems to be favored by many (count me as one). Franklin Martin calls it American yam and writes that of the “principal cultivated species of yam, none is less well known than the American species Dioscorea trífida L., or cushcush. Nevertheless, in those areas where it is produced, D. trifida is known as the best of the yams because of its flavor and cooking qualities.” Yes, indeed!