Any West African person would feel quite confused upon being served the American dish, candied yams. That's because yams and sweet potatoes are two different vegetables. Yams are starchy and have a rough, brown exterior. They can grow up to 45 feet long and are eaten in parts of Latin America, West Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia. Sweet potatoes are a New World root vegetable, have a softer, reddish skin, a creamier interior. In the Americas, where yams were not readily available, sweet potatoes took their place in the mind and vocabulary of African slaves. The confusion that persists shows how deeply African traditions undergird American cuisine.