Preparation and serving methods

Yams should never be eaten uncookedandsince they contain many naturally-occurring plant toxins including dioscorin, diosgenin and tri-terpenes. They must be peeled and cooked in order to remove these bitter proteins. Dioscorea opposita orandJapanese yamandis, however, eaten raw unlike its African brethren. Here, the whole tuber is briefly soaked in a vinegar-water solution to neutralize irritant oxalate crystals found in their skin. The root is then cut into small slices or grated to get a gel-like milk to add mouth-watering oriental recipes.