What’s The Difference Between Sweet Potatoes And Yams?

Maybe it’s part of the current 2016 nostalgia, but I’ve been seeing a lot more sweet potato content recently.

There’s the classic orange fare, this time caramelised to crispy perfection – but in 2026, Japanese sweet potatoes (perfect for dessert) are all over my feed as well.

So, too, is the increasingly popular ube, a yam key to Filipino cuisine. It’s also sometimes called a “purple yam”, “water yam”, or “violet yam”.

But what’s the difference between a sweet potato and a yam to begin with?

Sweet potatoes – which aren’t actually that closely related to “normal” spuds – are from the Convolvulaceae family, while yams belong to the Dioscoreaceae family.

Yams are quite closely related to lilies and grasses.

Yams are tubers, while sweet potatoes are technically roots.

Sweet potatoes usually have thin, papery skin and a yellow or orange-ish inside. Sometimes they can have purple flesh too.

Yams have tougher, more “scaly” skin and can weigh as much as 45kg in extreme cases. They’re more cylindrical and sometimes have protrusions called “toes”.

Yams are common in parts of Africa and Asia, with about 95% of the plants being grown in Africa. It can be hard to find true yams in mainstream Western supermarkets.

Sweet potatoes are predominantly grown in China, India, and some African countries. They’re native to Central and South America and are more common in Western stores.

Yams are starchier and “not nearly as sweet as sweet potatoes,” America’s Test Kitchen said.

Sweet potatoes’ flesh is softer and fluffier when cooked, meanwhile, and can be creamier and more moist than yams.

Sweet potatoes have ever so slightly more protein than yams, while yams are considerably higher in carbohydrates.

Yams have slightly more vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B6, and iron, while sweet potatoes are higher in sugars, fat (though neither has much at all), beta-carotene, and calcium.

But, Healthline notes, both are rich in nutrients, fibre, and vitamins.

Usually, yams are boiled, roasted, or fried.

Sweet potatoes are often baked, roasted, fried, pureed, or mashed.