Why dem boi call sweet potatos yams?

When stolen Africans arrived in the Lowcountry, they found that the sweet potato was a similar vegetable to the yams they were familiar with back home in Africa. As a result, they began to call the sweet potato a yam. This usage of the term yam stuck, and it is still used by the Gullah Geechee people today.

It is important to note that the term yam is often used interchangeably, to refer to sweet potatoes. While sweet potatoes and yams are both root vegetables, they are not the same plant. True yams are a member of the Dioscoreaceae family, while sweet potatoes are a member of the Convolvulaceae family. True yams are also less sweet and have a tougher texture than sweet potatoes.

Da Gullah Geechee people's use of the term yam to refer to sweet potatoes is a reminder of our African heritage. It is also a reminder of the importance of language and how it can be used to preserve identity and tradition.