Yam (Dioscorea species) has its centre of origin in West Africa where 90% of world production currently occurs. In West Africa yam is steeped in cultural history and revered as a cultural symbol of fertility, for example it is an essential element of marriages in many cultures.
What is the significance of yam?
Yams are not only an excellent source of fiber but also high in potassium and manganese, which are important for supporting bone health, growth, metabolism, and heart function ( 3 , 4 ). These tubers also provide decent amounts of other micronutrients, such as copper and vitamin C.
What is the significance of yams in Nigeria?
Yam (Dioscorea spp.) is a very important common food crop in West Africa. Beyond its food and nutritious values, the ownership and cultivation of yam have many cultural, religious, and social meanings, which may vary between specific ethnic groups and regional areas.
What are yams used for in Africa?
West African yams can also be fried, baked, or roasted, mixed with meats and cooked vegetables, or they can be dried and ground into a flour for extended use. The starchy tubers can be used as a substitute in recipes calling for potatoes and can also be grated into fritters or sliced and mixed into biscuit dough.
Are yams celebrated in African ceremonies?
The Yam Festival is celebrated by members of ethnic groups like the Mahi, Nagot (Yoruba), Bariba, Dendi, and others, for whom yam is a staple crop and a marker of identity. Unlike cassava, maize, or rice, yam is a native product of these regions and is thus deeply rooted in the culture of their populations.
What is yam in Swahili?
What is the translation of “yam” in Swahili? en. volume_up. yam = nduma.
Where did yams originally come from?
Yams originated in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. Africans call yams “nyami,” which is where we get the word “yam.” They are cylindrical and vary in size.
What does yam mean in Igbo?
According to Eze Ilomuanya, yam is the king of all the crops in any farmland across Igbo land.
What is yam called in Nigeria?
Yam (Puna) is very popular in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
What is the significance of the yam in things fall apart?
Seen as a masculine crop, the yams are an indication of the patriarchal society and separation between the genders. It creates a village where women are dependent on the yam farming men to provide for them. Second, yams symbolise sustenance and a way of life.
Where in Africa did yams originate?
The estimated geographical origin of cultivated yam expansion was located within the basin of the Niger River, between eastern Ghana and western Nigeria. This presumed area of the origin of yam cultivation is now dry and unsuitable for D.
What are yams called in South Africa?
South African yams and their uses
A well known South African yam is Dioscorea elephantipes that occurs from the Clanwilliam area in the Western Cape to Graaff Reinet in the Eastern Cape. It is affectionately termed Elephant’s Foot, due to its large, protruding, above-ground tuber that sometimes reaches 2 m in height.
When were yams brought to Africa?
The view, expressed in some detail by Murdock (1959), that yam cultivation developed in West Africa only as part of the “Malaysian plant complex” (of yams, aroids, sugar cane, and bananas), reaching West Africa later than 2,000 B.P., has gained wide acceptance, in spite of the above-mentioned works of Burkill and
Why is the yam called the king of crops?
A man’s ability to produce a successful yam harvest is symbolic of his ability to provide for his family. Yams are called the ”king of crops” because they are even more important than other masculine crops, being such a central staple in the community’s diet.
Why do they celebrate yam festival?
Asogli-yam1
The festival is celebrated annually by the Chiefs (Togbewo, Mamawo) and the people of Asogli State in the Volta Region of Ghana. It is celebrated every September to thank God and also the gods and ancestors for a bumper harvest, and as an occasion to offer prayers for good health and prosperity.
What is the meaning of yam festival?
The New Yam Festival, in the Ogidi community, is an important way of marking the beginning and end of the farming season. It is a celebration of life, accomplishments in the community, culture and well-being.
What is Ghana yam?
Ghana Yams are closely related to lilies and grasses. Native to Africa and Asia, yams vary in size from that of a small potato to a record 130 pounds. Origin: Ghana – Africa. Availability: Year-Round.
What is wild yam called in Yoruba language?
In Yoruba tribe of Nigeria, the wild type is called Esuru-Igboor Gudugudu. It is the most nutritious of the commonly cultivated yam species.
What is wild yam called in Igbo?
Just as it is identified by different words in Nigerian languages — isu in Yoruba, ji in Igbo – yam is said to be a good source of vitamin B6.
What ethnic group brought yam?
African slaves
Both the American yams and the Caribbean yams are of the “tuber” family. The mix-up with the yam and sweet potatoes came about when African slaves were brought to the United States and they referred to the potato as a “nyami,” which is an African word for yam in English.
Why do black people call sweet potatoes yams?
Even the word “yam” is an echo of the West African heritage of the vegetable — as Barton explained on a phone call, it has roots in the words “nyami,” “nyam,” or “enyame,” which mean, in different West African languages, literally, “to eat.” That’s how crucial yams were and are to the regional diet.