Yams are a vegetable native to Africa.
Grown in tropical regions around the world, Yams are a root crop. Though many think they closely resemble sweet potatoes, yams are not related to the sweet potato at all. Yams belong to the family Dioscoreacea, and are tubers most often grown on a tropical vine. There are 150 different varieties of yams, including the air-potato, the only true yam cultivated in the United States. Yam plants bear thick tubers, climbing stems, leaves, and flowers.