Dioscorea alata

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
"Water yam" redirects here. For the book, see Water Yam (artist's book).

Dioscorea alata
Cross section of purple yam
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Dioscoreales
Family: Dioscoreaceae
Genus: Dioscorea
Species:
D. alata
Binomial name
Dioscorea alata
Synonyms[2]
List
    • Dioscorea atropurpurea Roxb.
    • Dioscorea colocasiifolia Pax
    • Dioscorea eburina Lour.
    • Dioscorea eburnea Lour.
    • Dioscorea globosa Roxb.
    • Dioscorea javanica Queva
    • Dioscorea purpurea Roxb.
    • Dioscorea rubella Roxb.
    • Dioscorea sapinii De Wild.
    • Dioscorea sativa Munro
    • Dioscorea vulgaris Miq.
    • Elephantodon eburnea (Lour.) Salisb.
    • Polynome alata (L.) Salisb.

Dioscorea alata – also called ube (/ˈuːbɛ, -beɪ/), ubi, purple yam, or greater yam, among many other names – is a species of yam (a tuber). The tubers are usually a vivid violet-purple to bright lavender in color (hence the common name), but some range in color from cream to plain white. It is sometimes confused with taro and the Okinawa sweet potato beniimo (紅芋) (Ipomoea batatas cv. Ayamurasaki), however D. alata is also grown in Okinawa. With its origins in the Asian and Oceanian tropics, D. alata has been known to humans since ancient times.[3]

Names

Because it has become naturalized following its origins in Asia, specifically the Philippines, through tropical South America, and the southeastern U.S., D. alata is referred to by many different names in these regions. In English alone, aside from purple yam, other common names include ten-months yam, water yam, white yam, winged yam, violet yam, Guyana arrowroot, or simply yam.[3]

History of cultivation

Harvested purple yam tubers

Dioscorea alata is one of the most important staple crops in

Island Southeast Asia and New Guinea for their starchy tubers, including the round yam (Dioscorea bulbifera), ubi gadong (Dioscorea hispida), lesser yam (Dioscorea esculenta), Pacific yam (Dioscorea nummularia), fiveleaf yam (Dioscorea pentaphylla), and pencil yam (Dioscorea transversa).[4] Among these, D. alata and D. esculenta were the only ones regularly cultivated and eaten, while the rest were usually considered as famine food due to their higher levels of the toxin dioscorine which requires that they be prepared correctly before consumption.[5] D. alata is also cultivated more than D. esculenta, largely because of its much larger tubers.[6]

D. alata and D. esculenta were the most suitable for long transport in Austronesian ships and were carried through all or most of the range of the

Pacific Islands and New Zealand. They were also carried by Austronesian voyagers into Madagascar and the Comoros.[7][8][9]

Aerial bulbil of a white variety of D. alata

The center of origin of purple yam is in

Austronesian expansion. Purple yam is believed to be a true cultigen, only known from its cultivated forms. The vast majority of cultivars are sterile, which restricts its introduction into islands purely by human agency, making them a good indicator of human movement. Some authors have proposed, without evidence, an origin in Mainland Southeast Asia, but it shows the greatest phenotypic variability in the Philippines and New Guinea.[10][11][12]

Based on archaeological evidence of early farming plots and plant remains in the Kuk Swamp site, authors have suggested that it was first domesticated in the highlands of New Guinea from around 10,000 BP and spread into Island Southeast Asia via the Lapita culture at around c. 4,000 BP, along with D. nummularia and D. bulbifera. In turn, D. esculenta is believed to have been introduced by the Lapita culture into New Guinea. There is also evidence of an agricultural revolution during this period brought by innovations from contact with Austronesians, including the development of wet cultivation.[13][14]

However, much older remains identified as being probably D. alata have also been recovered from the

Ille Cave of Palawan (c. 11,000 BP), along with remains of the toxic ubi gadong (D. hispida) which requires processing before it can be edible. Although it doesn't prove cultivation, it does show that humans already had the knowledge to exploit starchy plants and that D. alata were native to Island Southeast Asia. Furthermore, it opens the question on whether D. alata is a true species or cultivated much older than believed.[4][15][16][17][18][19]

Purple yam remains an important crop in Southeast Asia, particularly in the Philippines where the vividly purple variety is widely used in various traditional and modern desserts. It also remains important in Melanesia, where it is also grown for ceremonial purposes tied to the size of the tubers at harvest time. Its importance in eastern Polynesia and New Zealand, however, has waned after the introduction of other crops, most notably the sweet potato.[6]

Uses

Culinary

Purple yams have edible tubers which have a mildly sweet, earthy and nutty taste, reminiscent of sweet potatoes or taro. The violet cultivars, in particular, turn dishes distinctively vivid violet because of the high amount of anthocyanins.[20] Purple yams are also valued for the starch that can be processed from them.[3] Purple yam is most common in

pastries. It is often eaten boiled, baked, or as a sweetened dessert called ube halayá; the latter being a popular ingredient in the iced dessert called halo-halo.[21][22][23] Purple yam desserts have more recently entered the United States through Philippine cuisine, under the Filipino name "ube". It is particularly popular due to the striking violet-purple color it gives to desserts.[20][21][24]

Purple yam is commonly confused with purple/violet varieties of sweet potatoes because of their similarities in color, taste, and culinary uses. However, like other yams, purple yam tends to have a moister texture than sweet potatoes. Purple yams also have higher anthocyanin content than sweet potatoes. They can otherwise be used interchangeably in most recipes.[25][26]

Supplements, folk medicine and adverse effects

Although available as a

allergic reactions to use of D. alata supplements.[27]

D. alata has relatively high levels of oxalates (486–781 mg/100 g dry matter),[28] which are associated with antinutritional effects and kidney stone formation.[29]

Other uses

The color of purple varieties is due to various anthocyanin pigments.[30] The pigments are water-soluble, and have been proposed as possible food coloring agents.[31] D. alata is sometimes grown in gardens for its ornamental value.[3]

As an invasive species

Dioscorea alata is native to the Philippines, as well as surrounding areas (

U.S. Virgin Islands, and in Florida where it is considered an invasive species.[34][35]

  • Purple yam leaves
    Purple yam leaves
  • Purple yam flowers
    Purple yam flowers

See also

References

  1. Saint Louis, Missouri: Missouri Botanical Garden
    . Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  2. ^ "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species". Archived from the original on May 13, 2024. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d "Dioscorea alata". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  4. ^
    doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2016.08.018
    .
  5. doi:10.21273/HORTSCI.29.11.1226
    .
  6. ^ a b "*Qufi ~ Uwhi, uhi". Te Mära Reo: The Language Garden. Benton Family Trust. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  7. PMID 27247383
    .
  8. S2CID 55763047
    .
  9. ISBN 9781863204705
    .
  10. S2CID 35381460
    .
  11. ^ Cruz V, Altoveros N, Mendioro M, et al. (1999). "Geographical patterns of diversity in the Philippine edible yam collection". Plant Genetic Resources Newsletter. 119: 7–11.
  12. doi:10.7152/bippa.v18i0.11710 (inactive November 1, 2024).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link
    )
  13. PMID 27314588
    .
  14. ISBN 9781760461164
    .
  15. S2CID 131187696
    .
  16. doi:10.5334/pia.308
    .
  17. S2CID 11596542
    .
  18. ISBN 9781902937588. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on March 28, 2019. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  19. ISBN 9781902937540
    .
  20. ^ a b Sutherlin M. "Everything You Need to Know About Ube, The Purple Yam". Chowhound. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  21. ^ a b Kearns L. "Ube Is The Natural Ingredient That Turns Food Perfectly Purple". The Huffington Post. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  22. ^ Bueno A. "All hail ube, the culinary gem we took for granted". CNN Philippines. Archived from the original on November 1, 2019. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  23. ^ Valdeavilla R (June 6, 2018). "Ube: The Philippine Purple Yam (More Popular Than Vanilla!)". culture trip. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  24. ^ "Donut Shop in Gurnee Cranks Out Unique Freshly Made Donuts". ABC7 Chicago. November 11, 2016.
  25. ^ "Ube or Not Ube, That Is the Question…and Frieda's Is Answering". Frieda's. April 17, 2017. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  26. ^ "Ingredient Spotlight: Ube, the Purple Yams That Make Dessert". OneGreenPlanet. March 24, 2017. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  27. ^ a b c "Wild yam". Drugs.com. July 24, 2020. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  28. S2CID 36080604
    .
  29. PMID 29358812
    .
  30. S2CID 11221328
    .
  31. doi:10.1155/2013/590512
    .
  32. ^ Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  33. ^ Flora of China, Vol. 24 Page 296, shen shu, Dioscorea alata Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 1033. 1753.
  34. ^ "Profile for Dioscorea alata (water yam)". PLANTS Database. USDA, NRCS. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  35. ^ Biota of North America Program, 2013 county distribution map
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