[MR] period marshmallows

[David Chessler]

------ Original Message ------
Received: Fri, 14 Jan 2011 01:43:20 AM EST
From: Sandi Rust <feo2mouse at yahoo.com>
To: Atlantia maillist <atlantia at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org>,	Stefan li Rous
<StefanliRous at austin.rr.com>
Subject: Re: [MR] period marshmallows

> True Yams are very large and white on the inside (I see them on occasion at
the commissary). What Americans call yams are actually sweet potatoes. It was
a marketing scheme back in the 1800's, I believe. Saw it on an episode of Good
Eats.
> Marie Hélène

There are two varieties of the American sweet potato. One has dry flesh and
one moist. I think it's the dry one that is sometimes called a yam.

A real Yam is an African root (or tubor or rizome). American sweet potatoes
are a good source of Vitamin A. (in the form of retinol). African yams have no
vitamin A, and deficiency diseases are common in some regions.