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| What is the Difference Between a Yam and Sweet Potato?
- A sweet potato and yam ARE NOT from the same family of vegetables. True
- Sweet potatoes ARE a great source of dietary fibre. True
- A medium sweet potato provides MORE THAN 40% of your recommended daily intake of Vitamin C. True
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What is the Scoop on Coriander and Cilantro?
- Cilantro and Coriander are the same thing. True and False
- Coriander keeps its flavour for a longer time when bought whole. True
- Coriander lowers cholesterol. Possibly True
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Find out more about:
Coriander vs. Cilantro
Yams and Sweet Potatotoes
Parsnips
They’re the same… and they’re different. Coriander refers to a whole plant. Cilantro is the plant’s fresh leaves, while coriander is the dried seed of the cilantro. If a recipe calls for fresh coriander, then reach for cilantro. Cilantro is also sometimes called Chinese parsley.
Uses and flavours
Cilantro combines well with hot peppers and adds a clean, sharp edge to spicy foods like salsas, spicy broths and hot curries. However, it also makes a great garnish on soups, omelets and mixed greens.
Coriander seeds resemble tiny, yellow balls, used whole or ground as a seasoning. It tends to add slight flavours of sage, citrus peel and caraway to dishes. The spice is usually used in curries and curry powder, pickles, soups, stews and ratatouille.
Selection and Storage
When buying cilantro, look for brightly coloured, crisp, firm leaves and avoid those that are wilting and yellowing. Cilantro does not tend to keep very long. To get the most out it, start by removing any wilted leaves from the bunch and trim the stems. Then, like a bouquet of flowers, place it upright in a container with the stems in water. Cover the leaves with a plastic bag and put the whole thing in the fridge. Change the water every couple of days or so and remove any wilted leaves.
Coriander keeps its flavour for a longer time when bought whole rather than ground. When stored in an opaque, airtight container in a cool, dark place, coriander powder will keep for 4 to 6 months while seeds will keep up to a year.
Nutritional Information
Coriander seeds have a long-standing reputation that puts them high on the list of the healing spices. In parts of Europe, coriander has traditionally been referred to as an "anti-diabetic" plant. In parts of India, it has traditionally been used for its anti-inflammatory properties. In the United States, coriander has recently been studied for its cholesterol-lowering effects.
Yes, there is in fact a difference. Although in terms of what you see at your typical supermarket, the difference isn’t that great. The orange-coloured “yams” we see are in fact a variety of sweet potato. The confusion stems from a marketing campaign dating back to the early 1900s. Sweet potato promoters began to market the deeper orange, moister varieties as “yams,” and the pale yellow-fleshed, drier varieties as sweet potatoes. Both are part of the morning glory family and hail from tropical America.
So What’s the Story?
A true yam is not even distantly related to the sweet potato. They grow in the tropical climates of South America, Africa and the Caribbean, and you’re far less likely to find them in your local grocery store. Their rough, scaly skin can resemble the bark of a tree, with red, off-white or purple flesh, depending on the variety. They are in fact much sweeter than sweet potatoes, and can range from the size of a small potato to 7 feet, or over 2 metres, in length!
Selection and Storage
Once you’ve chosen a smooth, firm, blemish-free sweet potato, be sure not to refrigerate it. You’ll want to keep them at room temperature in a dark, dry spot as they start to decay in temperatures below 10 C / 50 F. Once well stored in a dark, 12-13 C or 55 F environment, they can keep for up to a month.
Nutritional Information
Sweet potatoes are a great source of dietary fibre. A cooked medium sweet potato contains more than double the recommended daily intake (RDI) of vitamin A and 41% of the RDI for vitamin C. You’ll also find vitamin B6 and vitamin E as well as folate, potassium and iron. Keep the skin on and you’ll double the fibre, potassium and folate found only in the flesh. Another plus is that they are a great source of antioxidant vitamins.
Prepare and enjoy
Sweet potatoes are always eaten cooked, whether in sweet or savoury dishes. You can bake, steam, grill or microwave them, in or out of their skin. Once cooked, the skin falls off easily. They make for a great twist on french fries, and can be substituted in many dishes calling for potatoes.
Grate them into pies and muffins, or toss them in soups and stews.
Orange flavours, whether, juice, zest or liquers, work well with sweet potatoes. Keep it warm and spicy with additions like ginger, cumin and paprika, or sweeten it up with nutmeg, maple syrup, cinnamon and cloves. Classic flavours like butter with sage, thyme and savory work beautifully as well. (top)
Food Description
While they haven't received the kind of attention their carrot relatives have, parsnips do look like ivory-colored carrots, sometimes covered in fine roots. They have a mild, celery-like fragrance and a sweet, nutty flavour.
How Do You Tell If It’s Ripe
Look for chalk-white, firm parsnips with as few hair-like roots as possible for a buttery, sweet mouthful. A limp root is an old, tired parsnip. Avoid cracked and split roots as well.
Best Place to Store Them
Find a cold spot in the fridge, such as your bottom shelves, as parsnips like it cold. Parsnips harvested after the first frost or snowfall tend to be sweeter as the cold converts the starch to sugar. They'll keep for several weeks wrapped in a perforated plastic bag.
Nutritional Value
A high-fibre food, parsnips offer more than that found in many breakfast cereals. They're also an excellent source of folate and should definitely be on the menu for pregnant women and those planning for pregnancy. High in magnesium, potassium and vitamins C and E, parsnips are also a source of calcium, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin B.
How to Prepare Them
You can steam, boil, braise, sautée, bake, roast or grill these tasty roots. They tend to be a little too fibrous and pungent to be eaten raw. Parboil them first if you want to speed things up, or slow-roast if you have the time. Unlike carrots, they can turn from tender to mush in no time at all, so keep an eye on them. For best results, pair them with milder vegetables, such as potatoes. Try them with apples and pears in a winter salad, or spice them up with toasted nuts and seeds. Fresh ginger and Indian spices complement them well, as do many fresh herbs and citruses. No matter how you choose to prepare them – enjoy them! (top)
Source: Information provided by Small Potatoes Urban Delivery (SPUD) (www.spud.ca) Taken from Get Fresh by Madeleine Grey
