West African Yam - Fresh Culinair

September 25,2024

West African yams are toxic when raw and must be cooked prior to consumption. Underneath the tough skin, the cream-colored flesh is dense, dry, and starchy. When cooked, West African yams have a mild, earthy flavor with a subtle sweetness. The tubers are commonly boiled, sprinkled with palm oil and served with eggs, or they are boiled and mashed into a dough-like paste known as fufu and is served with soups and stews. West African yams can also be fried, baked, or roasted, mixed with meats and cooked vegetables, or they can be dried and ground into a flour for extended use. The starchy tubers can be used as a substitute in recipes calling for potatoes and can also be grated into fritters or sliced and mixed into biscuit dough. West African yams pair well with caramelized onions, pine nuts, leeks, eggs, tomatoes, green beans, peanuts, and meats such as poultry, beef, and lamb.