https://www.facebook.com/northcarolinafarmbureau/videos/423879594853364/
My Pa Pa Frank Kornegay would tell people “all yams are sweetpotatoes, but not all sweetpotatoes are yams.” While a yam is like a potato in shape and texture, and its high starch level makes it technically sweet, it’s still very different from a sweetpotato in classification, taste and nutrition. “Yam” is a cute word to say, but I’ll take our N.C. sweetpotatoes over true yams any day. Sweetpotatoes are a superfood packed with more fiber and nutrients than yams. They’re smoother in texture and sweeter in taste. Many folks in the South grew up having their grandmother’s “candied yams,” but those were really sweetpotatoes covered in butter and marshmallows! Our wonderful state produces half of the country’s sweetpotatoes, so take pride in our official state vegetable – it would be a yam shame if you didn’t!
Kim Kornegay-LeQuire is a fourth-generation farmer and owner/operator at Kornegay Family Farms and Produce in Johnston County. They have a diverse farm growing sweetpotatoes, tobacco, wheat, cotton, soybeans and watermelons.
