Yams are the first crops to be harvested. People offer yams to gods and ancestors first before distributing them to the villagers. This is their way of giving thanks to the spirits above them. Yam A yam is large root vegetable that looks like a tube. People often confuse a yam with a sweet potato .
Yams come from Africa while sweet potatoes are from Asia.
Yams can be stored for 2 months in dark and cool areas. They can also be dried and turned into flour for longer storage. Interestingly, Yams are associated with Thanksgiving in the United States . When you have yams at your Thanksgiving dinner, think about the villagers in Ghana and Nigeria. Ghana Ghana is located in West Africa, within a few degrees north of the Equator.