Yam

Yam
The yam plant is a climbing vine with large, edible underground
tubers. Some varieties of yams have a vine that twist around a pole to the
right, others twist to the left. The tubers of different varieties have many
shapes. Some may grow to two hundred pounds or more. The edible flesh can
be white, yellow, or purple inside.
Yams must be grown carefully in good quality soil. The soil should be
deep, loose, and well-drained. Planting into hills of piled soil may make
harvesting easier. Planting is commonly done at the end of the dry season.
Use a small yam tuber, or the top of a large piece, as planting material. The
new plant should be kept free of weeds for the first four months. When the
vines begin to grow, they are often trained onto a long pole. In some places,
yams are grown in forested areas and trained upon surrounding trees.
After 6 to 12 months, the yams are ready for harvesting. They are
harvested when the leaves have died. Once harvested, yams will store well
for several months if they are kept in a dry, cool, and well ventilated place.
Yams are a delicious source of low fat calories, and can be cooked in a
variety of ways similar to other tropical root crops. Because they do not
contain all of the nutrients needed for good health, they should be eaten with
other foods for a balanced diet.
Estimated Nutritional Values
Amount/Serving % DV* Amount/Serving % DV*
Calories 119 kcal 6 % Carbohydrate 29 Gm 10 %
Total Fat 0 Gm 0 % Iron 0.6 Mg 3 %
Saturated Fat 0 Gm 0 % Calcium 12 Mg 1 %
Cholesterol 0 Mg 0 % Vitamin A 0 IU 0 %
Sodium 17 Gm 1 % Vitamin C 0 Mg 0 %
Protein 3 Gm 6 %
*Percent daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
Nutritional Values are based on 1 cup of cooked yam
Milk: 0 Veg: 0 Fruit: 0 Bread: 2 Meat: 0