Produce Briefs...
Fingerling Russian Banana Potatoes
Although very petit in size, fingerlings are fully mature when harvested, thus they should not to be confused with new potatoes, potatoes that are harvested when immature.
White Corn
White corn is a sweet corn variety. Its ears are wrapped in tightly layered pale lime green to white husks. One ear of corn can contain up to 400 kernels growing in rows lengthwise.
Seasons/Availability
A winter vegetable, the peak season for Japanese Yams is fall to spring.
Current Facts
The Japanese yam, AKA mountain yam, satsuma imo and kotobuki, is a sweet yam variety that is only distantly related to the potato. It is root vegetable and a member of the Dioscoreaceae family, which houses predominantly perennial herbaceous vines. The yam is essentially the tuber part of the plant, most often storing nutrients and energy in the form of carbohydrates and water, which sustains the plant's growth and ability to survive adverse conditions.
Description/Taste
The Japanese yam is unlike a sweet potato in its skin color and flesh. Its roughly oblong in shape with a thin rusted red colored skin and a densely textured cream colored flesh. The flesh is dry, starchy and subtly sweet. The skin retains the bitter flavor of the root and it is recommended to remove it prior to eating.
Nutritional Value
The nutritional value of the yam is principally as a source of carbohydrates, though if eaten in large quantities it can provide a substantial amount of protein, thiamin and vitamin C.
Geography/History
The Japanese yam is native to regions of China and Japan, areas that are much colder than most yam cultivars can survive. Its first known cultivation can be dated back to 50,000 BC. It was introduce to Europe during the 19th Century potato blight as an alternative to the white fleshed potato. The Japanese yam was brought to Hawaii by Japanese immigrants and is still cultivated there today.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Japanese Yams. One
is easiest, three is harder.
A winter vegetable, the peak season for Japanese Yams is fall to spring.
Current Facts
The Japanese yam, AKA mountain yam, satsuma imo and kotobuki, is a sweet yam variety that is only distantly related to the potato. It is root vegetable and a member of the Dioscoreaceae family, which houses predominantly perennial herbaceous vines. The yam is essentially the tuber part of the plant, most often storing nutrients and energy in the form of carbohydrates and water, which sustains the plant's growth and ability to survive adverse conditions.
Description/Taste
The Japanese yam is unlike a sweet potato in its skin color and flesh. Its roughly oblong in shape with a thin rusted red colored skin and a densely textured cream colored flesh. The flesh is dry, starchy and subtly sweet. The skin retains the bitter flavor of the root and it is recommended to remove it prior to eating.
Nutritional Value
The nutritional value of the yam is principally as a source of carbohydrates, though if eaten in large quantities it can provide a substantial amount of protein, thiamin and vitamin C.
Geography/History
The Japanese yam is native to regions of China and Japan, areas that are much colder than most yam cultivars can survive. Its first known cultivation can be dated back to 50,000 BC. It was introduce to Europe during the 19th Century potato blight as an alternative to the white fleshed potato. The Japanese yam was brought to Hawaii by Japanese immigrants and is still cultivated there today.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Japanese Yams. One
is easiest, three is harder.| A Year of Slow Cooking |
|
CrockPot Sweet Potato Soup |
| The Other Side of Fifty |
|
Roasted Sesame-Glazed Sweet Potatoes |
