Canned yams are canned versions of the vegetable that is called a yam. In some English-speaking countries, the yam and the sweet potato are seen as interchangeable since they are much the same in appearance and in use. The yam is an abundantly international food that is grown across the world from Africa and Latin America, to Asia. It is a versatile food that has a lot of nutritional value, and is often a low-cost way to get certain nutritional elements into an individual diet.
As a hard tuber vegetable, the yam is not extremely perishable, but will eventually perish over time. To offer non-perishable yams to the public, some manufacturers can these vegetables and sell them in supermarkets. These processed foods are used in many different ways according to various cultures and cuisines around the world.
Generally, the purchase of canned yams is more common in modernized societies where food often travels a long distance to the dinner plate. In many of these countries, canned yams are popularly used for desserts including pies. They may also be used for some kinds of soups or as a starchy side dish for a full meal. Mashed yam can be used in place of other kinds of mashed tubers, where the yam tends to have more nutritional value than some other varieties of root vegetables.
In other parts of the world, the yams are a common street food. Many report that in parts of Africa, the yam is often served with various sauces. It is also commonly part of some Asian soups. In parts of South Asia the yam may be used as a ingredient in curry dishes, or sliced and deep fried. In some cases, cooks may add sugar or butter to make the fried result even more palatable.
Although some manufacturers process canned yams without additional ingredients, some can include sugars or oils. It’s important for shoppers to read the labels of canned yams carefully to understand whether such additional elements have been added to what is commonly considered to be a healthy food. Just like other canned vegetables, canned yams are vulnerable to drastically reduced health value when salt or sugars are added. There is also the danger of some unhealthy canned products when cans become dented or compromised over time.