A delicious seasonal snack that is easy to make and full of flavor. Make these in under 30 minutes and enjoy.

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Have you ever made sweet potato chips? It may seem like a lot of work to me, but I think you will be surprised at how easy it is!

This time of year, with Halloween, right around the corner I am usually snacking on roasted pumpkin seeds, or maybe a few bite-sized candies. But these sweet potato chips may become my new favorite seasonal snack. They are so easy to make and have a wonderful flavor.

Before we get into the recipe, let’s talk about sweet potatoes and yams. I can’t tell you how many times I have grabbed a sweet potato when I needed a yam.

When you want that beautiful orange color it’s hard to know which one to grab at the store. I have everything you need to know!

So what is the deal with sweet potatoes and yams?

There can be a little confusion when it comes to sweet potatoes and yams. Most grocery stores have both, but did you know that sweet potatoes and yam are very different and what is labeled as a yam in the store is a sweet potato?

If you want the gorgeous orange color then the sweet potatoes at the store are not what you want. You’ll want to grab what is labeled as yams instead. But the yams in the grocery store are not true yams.

What are true yams?

Yams are native to Africa and Asia and believe it or not, are related to lilies. They have brownish, bark-like skin and white, purple flesh that is starchier than a sweet potato. They are high in fiber, potassium, and carbs.

You may be able to find true yams at your local grocery store, but your best chance at finding them is to shop at an international market.

So what is a sweet potato?

There are several types of sweet potatoes; the skin can be white, yellow, purple, red, or brown and the flesh can range from white to orange.

Okay, this is where the confusion starts. Among the various types of sweet potato, there are two major types.

Firm sweet potatoes: These have white to golden skin with pale flesh.
Soft sweet potatoes: These have copper skin and orange flesh.

These two types cook differently; the firm kind will remain firm after cooking and the soft – you called it, will become soft and creamy after cooking.

So what are the yams in the grocery store?

Okay, so if true yams are hard to come by what are the yams found in the grocery store? This is where it gets confusing! The yams found in-store are technically sweet potatoes, but there is a difference.

Like I said above there are two types of sweet potatoes, firm and soft. Back in the day, the firm variety was the first type produced in the U.S., so when the soft variety started hitting the grocery store shelves they needed a way to differentiate the two.

It was decided that since the soft variety slightly resembled a true yam, they would be labeled as yams, and the rest is history.

This makes things confusing because if you are making a classic sweet potato pie or a fluffy baked sweet potato with orange flesh, you will go for the yams in the grocery store, even though it is a sweet potato but just the soft kind. I know, confusing.

How do I know which one to grab?

Most likely in store, you will see the below labeling.

Sweet potato: Golden skin with lighter flesh.
Yam: Copper skin and orange flesh with several varieties like Jewel, Japanese, and Garnet.

To make sure you are getting the correct sweet potato for your recipe, know what you want. If you want the classic orange color, then grab the yams. If you want lighter flesh that will stay firm when you cook, grab the sweet potatoes.

Also, since there are so many varieties and the labels at the store can be different from store to store, look at the sweet potato/yams to see the color of the skin. If it is darker, you are most likely getting a soft sweet potato.

Whew, now that we have cleared that up you can make your sweet potato chips. Or would they be yam chips?

These are so easy to make and are a great pre-dinner snack. The flavor is packed with garlic, cayenne pepper, and a little coarse sea salt.

Sources: The Kitchn, Library of Congress