Yams are known as Oca in Spanish as they are grown in the central and southern Andes and known as uqa in Quechua. Oca was introduced into New Zealand where it is an extremely popular vegetable in the 1860's and Europe in the 1830's.  The NZ yam is not a true yam which are a perennial herbaceous vine genus Dioscorea Yams are about 15cm long and a tuber of red, pink or yellow.

How to grow yams

They tend to be grown commercially.  They are frost tender and in the Southern Hemisphere best planted after October. Grow them in a similar fashion to potatoes.  In colder dstricts wait for the frosts and then go in with secataurs and remove top growth before harvesting.  Dig up the yams and leave until the tops die down.

Culinary

Delicious scrubbed to remove dirt and then popped in with a tray of vegetables for roasting.