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White yam (Dioscorea rotundata)
Photo: Akadeby, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

On the map in 2 countries crop

White yam

Dioscorea rotundata

Family: Dioscoreaceae

On our map this plant appears in 2 countries and ranks highest in: Nigeria, Ghana.

The white yam is a perennial climber of the genus Dioscorea, with heart-shaped leaves, that clambers several metres up stakes. Underground it produces large, floury tubers with white flesh, usually weighing several kilograms. The species was domesticated in West Africa thousands of years ago. The tubers are boiled, fried, roasted or pounded in a mortar into a stretchy dough – pounded yam – served with thick soups.

Description from: Nigeria.

More: Wikipedia (en) Wikipedia (pl) Plants of the World Online (Kew)

Significance in each country

  1. Nigeria no. 2 of 10 native

    Nigeria is by far the world’s largest yam producer, and Benue State is called the “food basket of the nation”.

  2. Ghana no. 8 of 8 native

    Boiled and pounded yam (for example as yam fufu) and fried pieces of tuber are staples of Ghanaian cooking, and the pona variety is considered the tastiest.