Boiled yam with sugar gives yam that delicious taste that comes with rainy season yams. You know that period of the year when yams have already been planted and they are very expensive almost going extinct while waiting for harvest? Yams boiled around
this time are very sweet. The natural sweetness is because the yams are drying up.
The juices are drying, leaving that sweet taste behind. I love to eat yams around this time. The tubers turn sweet around April to June. To enjoy this sweetness of Nigerian yams all year round, sweet yam lovers do add some sugar. Yes. Yam can be sweetened with sugar. Boiled yam can either be sweetened or cooked with salt for taste.
Boiling yams in a small cooking pot can be disastrous you know why? The reason we boil yams with a large pot is because it can boil over and mess up your stove. Yam boiled in a large pot cannot spill out while boiling.
The quantity of sugar added depends on how sweet you want the boiled yam. Kids love yams boiled with some sugar. A little sugar is ok, not too much.
The smaller the quantity of sugar, the better the taste. Both Sugar and salt can be added in one pot of boiled yams. The little salt helps give a toned down sweet taste of yam. You don’t want your yam tasting sweet like honey or like ice cream. Those who boil yam with sugar swear by it and honestly it’s not a bad idea especially for some of us who like to just chew their boiled yam without stew or sauce.
HOW TO BOIL YAM WITH SUGAR:
- Peel yam skin with a knife. Cut into smaller pieces. Cut any shape you like. Round, semi-circular, cubes, star or even wedges.
- Wash with clean water, place in a large pot and add water to cover the yam pieces.
- Place on the burner and cover the pot to boil.
- When yam begins to boil, you are free to sprinkle in some sugar and leave to boil with the lead on.
- Check the pot occasionally and poke yam pieces with a toothpick or fork to check. When yam is cooked, the fork will pierce in with ease.
- Turn off the burner and drain.
- Serve with egg sauce, boiled yam with fresh pepper sauce, tomato stew, boiled yam and beans porridge, yam and palm oil (Red oil) or any stew of choice.