Yams

You can buy yams from June until October, with limited supply available in late autumn.

Store in the refrigerator in a plastic bag.Handle all fresh produce with care and wash before eating.

The yams that are grown in New Zealand originate from the South American Andes where they are an important vegetable crop known as oca

The sweet tubers are quite small, often about the size of your thumb
They are pink-orange in colour and have a slightly shiny and ribbed surface
Other varieties are available that are sweeter, slightly smaller and coloured yellow, apricot and gold
New Zealand yams are very different from the tropical yams grown in other countries
In America, and hence American recipe books, the vegetables known as ‘yams’ are in fact sweet potatoes like our Beauregard kūmara

Plant in October and November
Yams need a longer growing time to produce tubers. They can be harvested from around May
Plant in similar manner to potatoes
Yam plant leaves look like clover

6 Yams = 120 g

	Average Quantity per serving	% Daily Intake per serve	Average Quantity per 100 g
Energy (kJ/Cal)	289/69	3%	241/58
Protein (g)	1.4	3%	1.1
Fat, total (g)	0.2	0%	0.2
- saturated (g)	0.04	0%	0.03
Available carbohydrate (g)	14.5	5%	12.1
- sugars (g)	5.2	6%	4.3
Dietary Fibre (g)	1.3	4%	1.1
Sodium (mg)	0	0%	0
Folate (µg)	50	25% RDI*	42
Vitamin A Equiv. (µg)	101	13% RDI*	84
Vitamin B6 (mg)	0.25	16% RDI*	0.21
Potassium (mg)	420		350