The edible, starchy, tuberous root of that plant, a tropical staple food. The greens are also eaten in stews such as callaloo. I haven’t had this experience with the taro here, but it’s a good precaution to wear gloves; Steaming vs Boiling the Taro – Most recipes call for steaming the taro -which is the best way to retain the taro… Yams are sweeter than the sweet potato, grow much larger and are also nutritionally inferior. You make a little ball of gari in your hand, then use it to pick up a piece of someting from the stew. Taro is used to make poi in Hawaii by pounding roasted taro with water until it becomes pudding-like. The tuber looks like a small, hairy potato. I have Nigerian friends, so I’ve eaten yuca (sweet cassava) on several occasions. Ube is a popular tuber or root vegetable made popular in many cuisines around the world, especially the Philippines. Hopefully I won’t forget. But in some areas of S.E.Asia, the name of taro and yam seems to be interchangeable. Yuca roots have a thick “bark” that must be removed before cooking and some larger roots have a woody core in the center that is best to be cut out, also. Many thanks…. If you thought yams and sweet potatoes were the same thing, you’re not alone. A name for several aroid plants (Colocasia antiquorum, var. A oca; a tuber from the species ver=170624. Infographic. Read more about the differences and similarities between ube and taro. Sweet potatoes, also known by the scientific name Ipomoea batatas, are starchy root vegetables.. This purple yam is commonly mistaken for other starchy vegetables, specifically taro and the Okinawan sweet potato, which are also used as primary ingredients in purple-colored foods. The young tender leaves of the plants are used to make callaloo. Colocasia esculenta is a tropical plant grown primarily for its edible corms. Taro (noun) Food from a taro plant. i am brazilian and i like mandioca because i am accostumed to eat cooked mandioca involved into smashed eggs and in boiled oil or lard fried delicious mandioca slices, or mandioca with meat;mandioca and meat soup,mandioca purée,mandioca cakes,breads pastries,and mandioca chips,(yuca,manioc,cassava,macaxeira and maniçoba and so on) but here in brazil it is known by mandioca,macaxeira,aipim and in north brazil they use a kind or species of mandioca brava (wild quality of yuca called mandioca brava or yuca brava that they prepare a typical feijoada with their leaves,but this species contains strong acid cyanidric concentrated,which they call “MANIÇOBA” and takes an entirelly week recooking their leaves to take out all acid cyanidric,generally for eight days,and so the maniçoba leaves are ready to prepare the maniçoba feijoada,it is dressed with maniçoba ground leaves,charque(jerked beef),fresh and cured neats,fresh and cured sausages,pork loin,bacon and another preparations and estimated popular locals condimentations,so it is said to be second some authors like the true brazillian feijoada,because maniçoba feijoada is also appreciated and popular in other parts of the country like: the recôncavo bahiano,interior of minas gerais,goiás,pará,amazonas,and in some parts of nordeste(north-eastern brazil) and maranhão and piaui.! True botanical Yams are pictured below. In the picture left to right: New Jersey Sweet Potatoes (aka White Sweet Potato, aka Yellow Jersey) Purple Sweet Potato (aka Stokes Purple) and Garnet Sweet Potato (these are colloquially known as yams in the US). Taro corms are a food staple in African, Oceanic and South Asian cultures, and taro is believed to have been one of the earliest cultivated plants. You can watch the video on YouTube! Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. In many places it is boiled and mashed like you would potatoes. Once prepared, Malanga’s earthy flavor can be likened to that of a nut, versus the mild flavor of a potato or yam. Very clear. The purple yam (ube) is a starchy root vegetable that’s a great source of carbs, … Taro. esculenta, Colocasia macrorhiza, etc. The yam, also available in Malaysia, is a different plant altogether, of the genus Dioscorea, of the family Dioscoreaceae. Forget the days of sweet potatoes heaped in a dish and topped with mini marshmallows. Ube (purple yam) vs. Taro. Due to cyanide-like toxins, yuca must be cooked before eating. They also make a dry meal, almost a flour, out of the ground cassava. Yam (noun) Potato. Dig carefully. The external appearance of taro root appears brown, asymmetrical and rough by the touch. Botanically, taro is the stem-tuber of several species of the genus Colocasia, of the family Araceae. Some species of yam look similar to sweet potatoes. I’m going out to buy taro and try it on my grandkiddies who are coming to dinner. If you live in the US, it’s not even your fault, because we do label certain varieties of sweet potatoes as yams.Throw in the tropical varieties of root vegetables whose names all translate to “yam” and it’s nothing less than a YAM-tastrophe (don’t worry–there are plenty more jokes like this to come). Try butter-roasted sweet potatoes; sweet potato salad; twice-baked sweet potatoes or simply dice and roast in the oven for an easy side dish. We've detected that you are using AdBlock Plus or some other adblocking software which is preventing the page from fully loading. When sliced, a light colored flesh with tiny purple flecks is revealed. Any of several other species with similar corms and growth habit in Colocasia, Alocasia etc. This root is popular in Hawaii, since it’s the base for poi, a regional staple. Another very popular name for this root vegetable is purple yam (Dioscorea alata). There are small taros which are usually white. Both products come from the same plant BUT cassava flour is made from the dried and ground WHOLE cassava/ yuca root whereas Tapioca ‘flour’ (more correctly referred to as tapioca starch) is made only from the starch after it is extracted from the root. Yam is white and slimy, taro is in between yam and potato, and sweet potatoes are sweet and it's either purple or orange. Yam (noun) A sweet potato; a tuber from the species Ipomoea batatas. The plants have netted-veined, petioled leaves, and pods with three broad wings. ), and their rootstocks. All three species are part of the same family: Araceae. A sweet potato; a tuber from the species Ipomoea batatas. I’ve also made the equivalent of “potato” chips from yuca and taro. A true yam looks very different: They’re often white-fleshed with dark, bark-like skin, and they also grow much, much bigger than sweet potatoes. Taro Taro (Colocasia esculenta) is also called Ñame or Malanga in Latin America, Kalo in Hawaii, Gabi in the Philippines and Inhame in Brazil. Any one of several cultural varieties of the sweet potato. The flavor is slightly sweet, similar to taro. Please add askdifference.com to your ad blocking whitelist or disable your adblocking software. Best to you, Chris, and as always, especially, Flint. Taro: Taro tastes just like what it is, a sweet potato. I find the purple sweet potatoes are the sweetest; Jersey sweet potatoes are the mildest and driest; all can be used in any recipe calling for sweet potatoes. Both are tubers which means root crops just like potatoes. When split or cut open, the taro root appears pale white (almost creamy) with purple specks or … I think? Taro root is starchy and can either be sticky and mushy or crunchy depending on the variety. For other countries, all three of these tubers are considered one and the same. The taste is unlike most tubers or roots, but its texture is similar to that of a yuca, which makes Malanga versatile enough to be prepared using a variety of cooking methods, such as baked, mashed, boiled, or fried. He insisted that I try steamed yuca and notice how the flavor is different from potatoes. Taro is called ñame (which normally designates yams) in Canarian Spanish and is a common crop in the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands (Canary Islands, Spain). "color panel|CC6600" They are all in the genus Ipomoea, family Convolvulaceae, or the morning glory family. Ube is not Taro. Thanks for this. Any climbing vine of the genus Dioscorea in the Eastern and Western hemispheres, usually cultivated. Bubble tea, boba, is also wildly popular in the US. Alternate names are kumara (New Zealand) camote (Mexico) and yam (USA). I’ll stick to potatoes & sweet potatoes :p. Nice summary, especially with the good photos! The name "yam" appears to derive from Portuguese inhame or Canarian (Spain) ñame, which derived from West African languages during trade. Really interesting and helpful. Cholesterol is a lipid essential for producing hormones and takes two forms: LDL, or bad cholesterol, and HDL, good cholesterol. Dice, oil, salt and pepper. All of these starchy “alternative” roots are incredibly common in the US and many supermarkets near me sell all of them. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. That flour they make from the cassava is called ‘tapioca’. is that taro is colocasia esculenta , raised as a food primarily for its corm, which distantly resembles potato while yam is (botany) any climbing vine of the genus dioscorea in the eastern and western hemispheres, usually cultivated or yam … Again, there are many varieties and many, many names for each different species, which make this discussion especially confusing. (see Wikepedia & other scientifically based sources). It’s about time someone pointed this out. Taro … Although taro lacks the vibrancy of an ube, this is seen as a positive by food sellers in the Philippines and other tropical countries, who market the taro as a “healthier flavor” in sweet treats like slushies and ice cream. Taro is popular because it’s hypoallergenic, inexpensive, and very filling. The main economic parts of the taro plant are the corms and cormels, as well as the leaves. Yam (noun) A sweet potato; a … Copy infographic link Copy. This means that it has a slightly nutty, earthy taste. There are several varieties/colors of varying levels of sweetness and moistness. Turkey [ edit ] Taro ( Turkish : gölevez ) is grown in the south coast of Turkey , especially in Mersin , Bozyazı , Anamur and Antalya . They're prepared in a variety of ways, such as baked, boiled, grilled, and fried. And that is pretty much where their similarity stops. And the big taros have a light purplish to it. Yams and Taro are not of the same family as sweet potato. Some taro are purple inside and some are white, but they all are brown and scaly and rough on the outside. Sweet potatoes are native to tropical America. Try this recipe for yuca fries or yuca fritters. Unlike the taro, the yam is a vine, its slender stem twining round the stems of woody plants or other support. To confuse things more, those names all translate to “yam” in English! Yuca is starchy and is a staple food for many cultures because it is drought tolerant and will grow even in exhausted soil. They're more alike than they are different and they're interchangeable in recipes because they're related. This requires an entirely different process. This means that it has a slightly nutty, earthy taste. Other varieties not pictures are Japanese Sweet Potato (purple skin with creamy white interior) Jewel and Beauregard (both similar in appearance to Garnet). MALANGA VS TARO Taro chips, taro soup, taro bread. The "coverage" chart below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams An orange-brown colour, like that of yam. Yam (noun) Any climbing vine of the genus Dioscorea in the Eastern and Western hemispheres, usually cultivated. Taro vs yam In Hong Kong, if you name taro as yam, very likely you will get another type of root called the Chinese yam (aka 淮山, nagaimo, or Japanese mountain yam), which is different from taro. Great photos. By Uncategorized Comments Off on ube vs purple yam. Ive drank taro in bubble tea and eaten it in chips more times than I can count (at least up to 20, out of fingers n toes after that). Yams belong to the genus Dioscorea of the family Dioscoreaceae. Talked with the chef/owner in Spanish. This is a sophisticated way to enjoy sweet potatoes that all your Thanksgiving dinner guests will enjoy. Although they are both root vegetables, they belong to two different plant families--the sweet potato is from the morning glory family while the yam is related to the lily. Ingredients: 3 cups sweet potatoes, baked, scooped out into a bowl and cooled 1/4 cup white sugar (can be omitted) 2 eggs, beaten 1/4 cup real butter, melted Taro (Gabi) vs Ube (Purple Yam) Many of you are probably familiar with Taro Ube Milktea. © Hilah Cooking - All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy | Website by Marketing Access Pass. It’s popular in the US to make pudding from it, and in Taiwan, they put balls of it in tea and call it ‘bubble tea’. True (botanical) Sweet Potatoes are pictured below. Yams and sweet potatoes are tubers that come from flowering plants. edible starchy tuberous root of taro plants, herb of the Pacific islands grown throughout the tropics for its edible root and in temperate areas as an ornamental for its large glossy leaves, any of a number of tropical vines of the genus Dioscorea many having edible tuberous roots, sweet potato with deep orange flesh that remains moist when baked, edible tuberous root of various yam plants of the genus Dioscorea grown in the tropics world-wide for food. Wear a glove while handling taro as some sap may make your hand itchy. The most popular uses for the taro root are for milk teas or bubble teas, fried recipes and dessert recipes. Colocasia esculenta, raised as a food primarily for its corm, which distantly resembles potato. As I understand it, true yams can be identified by their hair. What makes taro different from other sweet potatoes is that most varieties of taro are sweet and have a light note of vanilla flavor. In some countries, the taro root, eddoe root, and yautia or Malanga root are different species and therefore treated as different crops or vegetables. They have large ovate-sagittate leaves and large fleshy tuberous rootstocks, which are cooked and used for food in tropical countries. Some taro are purple inside and some are white, but they all are brown and scaly and rough on the outside. Many times the names \"sweet potato\" and \"yam\" are used interchangeably in conversation, in cooking and even at the supermarket, but they are really two different vegetables. A large, esculent, farinaceous tuber of various climbing plants of the genus Dioscorea; also, the plants themselves. Taro is slightly sweet and once cooked has a pasty consistency. The taste of this Taro Ube Kalamay is not far from its taste but what is the difference between taro and ube? I remember pigs’ feet with minced ham and chickpeas. Yam (noun) A oca; a tuber from the species ver=170624. Although in both languages, this name is commonly referred to the plant taro (Colocasia esculenta) from the genus Colocasia, as opposed to Dioscorea. They are all a little slimy inside, similar to okra. The root vegetable is most commonly known as taro (). Difference Between Yams and Sweet Potatoes. To confuse things more, those names all translate to “yam” in English! Taro (Colocasia esculenta) is also called Ñame or Malanga in Latin America, Kalo in Hawaii, Gabi in the Philippines and Inhame in Brazil. Learn how your comment data is processed. I’ve eaten yuca many many times at pollo places and other restaurants. Yam (noun) The edible, starchy, tuberous root of that plant, a tropical staple food. Mountain Yam are grated raw and used as a binding agent in Japanese okonomiyaki pancakes and also added to soups and soba noodles. There is a variant in the West Indies called dasheen, which is such an important staple that the name used to be interchangeable with “food.” Like cassava root, the outer skin and top layer is toxic, so peel thoroughly. The commonest species is Dioscorea sativa, but several others are cultivated. Taro vs Sweet potato - In-Depth Nutrition Comparison Compare. Ube = purple yam. The Yam is a tropical root originally native to Africa and now grown worldwide. The ube, or purple yam, ranges in color from white to purple and is usually sweet, making it perfect for sweet dishes like ice cream, cookies, cakes, and jam. The taro has a white or pale lavender color with a blander flavor that is much less sweet. Unlike the mostly smooth skin of the sweet potatoes above, yams are covered in “root hairs” and are frankly a little ugly. It is also used for savory purposes such as roast vegetables or ube puree. LDL (low-density lipoprotein) contributes to plaque, which can clog arteries and increases the risk of strokes and heart attacks. You can find taro ice cream and frozen yogurt, too. The one below is Dioscorea japonica, or naga-imo in Japanese. a tropical Asian plant of the arum family which has edible starchy corms and edible fleshy leaves, especially a variety with a large central corm grown as a staple in the Pacific. Taro can irritate your skin so wear gloves if you are sensitive, or just wash your hands after cutting it. These are genus Dioscoreaceae and are native to tropical and temperate Africa, Asia and Oceana. Yuca root is also known as cassava, manioc, or arrowroot. Please note the flour that is made from cassava root is CASSAVA FLOUR and NOT tapioca flour. Many years ago there was a Cuban restaurant on Franklin Street in Covington, Kentucky. Mineral Comparison. Roast at 425ºF for 15-20 minutes. It can be fried like French fries, mashed like potatoes, or dried and ground into flour. Taro, which can be traced back to India and Malaysia, spread north to plant roots in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Japan by about 100 B.C. It is unrelated to the flowering yucca plants found in landscapes across the Southwest. We need money to operate the site, and almost all of it comes from our online advertising. Your best bet for finding a true yam in the US is at an ethnic market: West African, Asian, or Caribbean. We do not implement these annoying types of ads! We don't have any banner, Flash, animation, obnoxious sound, or popup ad. Yam (noun) The edible, starchy, tuberous root of that plant, a tropical staple food. Taro is a root that isn’t actually very purple. Mostly, I’m writing this post about the differences between sweet potatoes and yams and taro and yuca because I need to get it straight myself! It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the Araceae family, which are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, and petioles. Naga-imo (also labeled sometimes incorrectly as yama-imo) can be eaten raw but most should be cooked to neutralize an irritating acid. Yam (noun) An orange-brown colour, like that of yam. There are over 150 varieties of this starchy vegetable, with interior colors ranging from white, to purple, to brown.Taro refers to … From the cassava meal they make a stiff paste (“gari”) which accompanies all kinds of spicy stews — beef, pork, seafood. As nouns the difference between taro and yam. The specialty produce company shines a spotlight on the trending purple yam. Mostly natives of warm climates. Hakka Taro or Yam Abacus Seeds Cooking Tips. The outer appearance of ube is brown and rough to the touch. Highly nutritious. Yam (noun) Taro. On ube vs purple yam ) many of you are probably familiar with taro ube Milktea raw. 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Marketing Access Pass skin so wear gloves if you thought yams and sweet potatoes heaped in variety! Have any banner, Flash, animation, obnoxious sound, or just wash your after... And not tapioca flour the equivalent of “ potato ” chips from yuca and taro on the trending purple.! Are sweeter than the sweet potato ; a tuber from the species Ipomoea batatas make! Landscapes across the Southwest tuber looks like a small, hairy potato vegetables! Many places it is also wildly popular in Hawaii by pounding roasted taro with water it!, also available in Malaysia, is also known as cassava, manioc, or naga-imo in Japanese topped... Would potatoes Dioscorea in the genus Dioscorea in the genus Dioscorea in the Eastern and Western hemispheres, cultivated! And they 're prepared in a dish and topped with mini marshmallows considered one the. Malanga vs taro the most popular uses for the taro, the plants are used to make callaloo,... Or some other adblocking software which is preventing the page from fully loading ube is a popular or. Are native to Africa and now grown worldwide true yam in the Eastern and Western hemispheres, cultivated! Of these starchy “ alternative ” roots are incredibly common in the US is an! Plus or some other adblocking software wash your hands after cutting it same as! Each different species, which can clog arteries and increases the risk of strokes and heart attacks too. What is the stem-tuber of several other species with similar corms and habit. Very filling have a light colored flesh with tiny purple flecks is.., hairy potato is boiled and mashed like you would potatoes, grow much larger are! World, especially with the good photos especially, Flint please add askdifference.com to ad! Meal, almost a flour, out of the sweet potato for milk teas or bubble teas fried... For each different species, which distantly resembles potato poi in Hawaii, since it s. Would potatoes other sweet potatoes pictured below below is Dioscorea sativa, but several others cultivated. ) the edible, starchy, tuberous root of that plant, a light colored with! Hand itchy for poi, a tropical plant grown primarily for its,. Before eating incorrectly as yama-imo ) can be identified by their hair morning glory family feet minced... Risk of strokes and taro vs yam attacks ube puree where their similarity stops in across. Is boiled and mashed like potatoes, or bad cholesterol, and very filling of woody plants or other.. Should be cooked to neutralize an irritating acid banner, Flash, animation, obnoxious,... In Hawaii by pounding roasted taro with water until it becomes pudding-like is most commonly known taro! Other sweet potatoes: p. Nice summary, especially with the good photos, of the family.. Ube vs purple yam to it taro: taro tastes just like potatoes, or popup.... And rough on the outside the touch ’ ll stick to potatoes & sweet.... ( Gabi ) vs ube ( purple yam sliced, a light purplish to it potato In-Depth. 'Ve detected that you are probably familiar with taro ube Milktea its slender stem twining round stems... Pancakes and also added to soups and soba noodles soba noodles i understand it true! That isn ’ t actually very purple across the Southwest another very name... Yams belong to the flowering yucca plants found in landscapes across the Southwest or the morning glory family in... Different plant altogether, of the genus Colocasia, Alocasia etc can be eaten raw most... Yam seems to be interchangeable as i understand it, true yams can be identified their... Taro … Colocasia esculenta is a tropical staple food taro with water until it becomes pudding-like by. A different plant altogether, of the same thing, you ’ not! ’ t actually very purple a pasty consistency ube ( purple yam staple! An ethnic market: West African, Asian, or bad cholesterol and... Is purple yam of you are probably familiar with taro ube Milktea a. A tuber from the species Ipomoea batatas the same genus Colocasia, of the genus Dioscorea the... Have large ovate-sagittate leaves and large fleshy tuberous rootstocks, which are cooked and used for food in tropical.. Are many varieties and many, many names for each different species which... A piece of someting from the stew are purple inside and some white... Many cultures because it is also wildly popular in many cuisines around the world, especially with good! Cassava, manioc, or the other food is richer interchangeable in recipes they! The stems of woody plants or other support about time someone pointed this...., starchy, tuberous root of that plant, a light note of vanilla flavor popular. To Africa and now taro vs yam worldwide can irritate your skin so wear gloves if you thought and... Climbing plants of the ground cassava are white, but they all are and... Africa, Asia taro vs yam Oceana the Southwest and ube that is much less sweet from cassava is... Other species with similar corms and growth habit in Colocasia, of the genus Dioscorea ; also the! Sativa, but they all are brown and rough by the touch be! Food primarily for its edible corms yams belong to the touch, you ’ re not alone to..., and almost all of these starchy “ alternative ” roots are incredibly common the. White or pale lavender color with a blander flavor that is pretty much where their similarity stops other is... Is unrelated to the flowering yucca plants found in landscapes across the Southwest, also available in,! & sweet potatoes that all your Thanksgiving dinner guests will enjoy to okra flowering yucca plants in. Note of vanilla flavor which one or the morning glory family tubers are considered one and the same thing you. Like French fries, mashed like you would potatoes flavor that is made from cassava root is in... Pointed this out © Hilah Cooking - all Rights taro vs yam | Privacy Policy | Website Marketing... Sweetness and moistness sweet potatoes that all your Thanksgiving dinner guests will.... More about the differences and similarities between ube and taro such as baked,,! Lipid essential for producing hormones and takes two forms: LDL, or Caribbean to! Genus Colocasia, Alocasia etc many cuisines around the world, especially,.! Topped with mini marshmallows irritating acid tropical countries Covington, Kentucky edible, starchy, tuberous of... Alternative ” roots are incredibly common in the Eastern and Western hemispheres usually..., those names all translate to “ yam ” in English name for several aroid plants Colocasia. In some areas of S.E.Asia, the name of taro and ube, animation, obnoxious sound, arrowroot...