Yammering About Classic Candied Hoosier Yams

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A Hoosier Yam by Any Other Name is a Sweet Potato

Unless you are shopping in a market outside the United States, your candied yams are really just candied sweet potatoes. Both yams and sweet potatoes come from flowering plants known as angiosperms. The two are not botanically related. Yams are a monocot; a plant having one seed leaf. Sweet potatoes are called divot; a plant having two seed leaves. Sweet potatoes are from the morning glory family; known as the convolvuacea family of flowering plants.

The first commercially grown sweet potatoes were of a firm variety. Softer varieties of sweet potatoes were introduced into market farmers wanted them to be distinguished from their firmer brethren. Softer verities of sweet potatoes had been grown in plantation gardens in the South. African slaves referred to them as, ‘yams’. The name ‘yam’ was applied to the new softer variety of commercial sweet potato. Today we use the name yam interchangeably with sweet potato.

The softer, orange-fleshed variety of sweet potato, commonly referred to as a yam in the United States (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Sweet potatoes in the field (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Cook Time Classic Hoosier Candied Yams

Prep time: 30 min

cook time: 30 min

Ready in: 1 hour

Yields: Serves four to six people

A yam in the US is just a soft sweet potato

Ingredients Classic Candied Hoosier Yams

• 3 to 4 yams or sweet potato, boil
• 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 cup Orange Juice
• 10 to 12 Marshmallows, large, sliced or miniture (optional)
• 4 tbsp butter

Instructions for Classic Candied Yams

1. Boil three large or four medium yams. Leave the skin on.This helps the yam to not get too mushy.
2. When yams are tender drain and set aside to cool. The cooled yam should be easy to peel with your finger.
3. Grease a 11/2 quart casserole. Slice large marshmallows or use miniture marshmallows. ( Marshmallows are optional)
4. Alternate layers of yam slices,butter,sugar, and marshmallow slices.
5. When finsihed layering pour orange juice over the whole casserole
6. Bake in a pre heated 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Classic Candied Hoosier Yams

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1
Calories	240
Calories from Fat	63
% Daily Value *
Fat 7 g	11%
Saturated fat 3 g	15%
Carbohydrates 43 g	14%
Sugar 24 g
Fiber 4 g	16%
Protein 2 g	4%
Cholesterol 10 mg	3%
Sodium 310 mg	13%
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

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What Does Hail from the Hoosier Hearth ?

Indiana is famous for it's pork tenderloin.

The Hoosier state claim to any culinary history like the rest of America is parallel to its immigrant history. The southern part of the state was first settled by the French, while the middle of the state can claim a hearty pioneer stock that made cornbread the talk of early Hoosier foodies. The most abiding influence through out the state was modified German cuisine first brought to the state by prosperous German Catholic farmers and later preserved by Indiana’s Amish and Mennonite communities.

The pork tenderloin is Indiana’s claim to culinary fame. Many towns claim to have restaurants to have the best ‘tenderloin ‘in the State.  Other lesson known culinary traditions; hail from the Region an area close to Chicago in the Northern part of the State. Here the steel industry attracted Italians and Poles who brought their own modifications to the Hoosier diet. Here Hoosier Spaghetti, which is spaghetti made with bacon and round steak. In some circles older circle Indiana is known for persimmon pudding.

Everyone in Indiana grows tomatoes. Apartment dwellers to large producers for companies like Red Gold. Tomatoes and corn have been staples in the Hoosier diet for generations. Breasted chicken is Indiana is also popular as it is in the surrounding states. Lastly, geography plays a role in Hoosier palates. Grits appear on the menu and tables on the southern part of the state and not so much in the North. Northern Indiana cuisine will borrow it passion for meat pies from Michigan. Indiana’s; love of chicken and noodles from its neighbors in western Pennsylvania and is a staple in Hoosiers diet.

Home grown tomatos are Hoosier staples.

This blog does not necessarily focus on distinctively tradition Hoosier or Midwestern recipes, but many will fall into those categories. This blog is to preserve and promote the recipes from Hoosiers who hail from many places. Friends, family, and coworkers who want to share their recipes from their Hoosier tables.

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