While turkey is the center of many Thanksgiving meals, the side dishes and desserts deserve equal attention. Some of the common vegetables and fruits associated with Thanksgiving have interesting – if sometimes a bit misleading – histories or myths surrounding them. Below are a few questions (and answers) about sweet potatoes, pumpkins, cranberries, and other staples for the Thanksgiving meal.
Are sweet potatoes and yams the same thing?
Believe it or not - yams and sweet potatoes are entirely different plants!
Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are vining plants in the morning glory family (Convolvulaceae). They are believed to be native to Central and South America. The storage roots of sweet potatoes are short, blocky, with tapered ends. They have a smooth, thin skin. There are two main types of sweet potato. Dry-fleshed types usually have a light yellow skin and pale yellow flesh. When cooked, they are dry and crumbly, much like a baking potato. Moist-fleshed types typically have a dark orange skin, orange flesh, and are moist and sweet when cooked. In the United States, the moist, orange-fleshed types are the most commonly grown sweet potato and are often referred to as “yams.”
Yams (Dioscorea spp.) are also vining plants, but they belong to the yam family (Dioscoreaceae). Yams are native to Africa and Asia. In Africa, the most commonly grown species is Dioscorea cayenensis subsp. rotundata (syn: D. rotundata). Yams also produce a large underground storage structure (called tubers) that are often much larger than a sweet potato (up to 50 pounds). Yams are rarely found in the United States. However, they are popular in Latin American countries.
The word “yam” comes from the African word “nyami” (meaning “to eat”). It is believed that black Africans brought to America during the slave trade began referring to sweet potatoes as “yams” because of their similarity to true yams.
Believe it or not – all those cans of yams that we see in the grocery store in the US usually contain sweet potatoes – not true yams. True yams are popular in other areas of the world, but rarely seen in the US.
Learn more in this article: Growing Sweet Potatoes in Iowa.
What type of pumpkin is made into canned pumpkin?
Generally, little pumpkin is used for canned pumpkin puree! Instead, most canned pumpkin is actually made from butternut or other winter squashes. But before you complain to processors with emails about misleading consumers, this one is a little more complicated. Pumpkins are a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, which also includes squashes, cantaloupes, cucumbers, watermelons, and gourds. A pumpkin is actually a type of squash. The definition of “pumpkin” is based on the fruit’s appearance and use rather than a specific species of plant. A “pumpkin” is typically round with a smooth, hard, slightly ribbed, deep yellow to orange skin. Pumpkins have culinary and ornamental uses.
Pumpkins are members of four different plant species:
- Cucurbita pepo includes common field pumpkins (pumpkins that we associate with jack-o-lanterns and Halloween) and acorn squash.
- Cucurbita moschata includes butternut squash and some pumpkins (such as ‘Dickinson’).
- Cucurbita maxima includes the large-fruited winter squash (such as Hubbard squash) and pumpkins like ‘Big Max’ or ‘Dill’s Atlantic Giant’ (these are the super-sized pumpkins you see at the state fair).
- Cucurbita mixta is the fourth species which includes cushaw-type squash.
The primary squash/pumpkin used for pumpkin puree is a type of Cucurbita moschata, which includes butternut squash and Dickinson pumpkin, the most common commercially grown cultivar. While Curcurbita pepo is the species most commonly associated with the name pumpkin (and it is edible), it is not used for canned pumpkin puree because it tends to be more fibrous or stringy.
Learn more in these articles: All About Pumpkins and Growing Giant Pumpkins
Where are cranberries from?
Wisconsin is the leading producer of cranberries (Vaccinium marcorcarpon) for the US market according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Cranberry production in Wisconsin is located in the central and northern parts of the state. The state produced 4.835 million barrels of cranberries in 2022 (a barrel weighs 100 pounds). Other important cranberry producing states include Massachusetts (2.26 million barrels), New Jersey (563,000 barrels), and Oregon (400,000 barrels). While most cranberries are grown in these four states, commercial cranberry production can also be found in Washington, Michigan, Minnesota, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
Cranberry is a low-growing, cold-hardy, evergreen shrub or groundcover that is native to swamps and bogs of northeastern North America. The fruit is often harvested by flooding the fields because the ripe fruit will float to the top. Cranberries are processed into juice or sauce, dried, or sold fresh to consumers. Native Americans used this North American native fruit for pemmican, juice, and a dye. Cranberries almost certainly showed up on the table at early Thanksgiving feasts.
What is pumpkin spice?
While this certainly wasn’t on the first Thanksgiving table, you see this ingredient in everything right now – lattes, desserts, candles, and even dog biscuits. Pumpkin spice seems to be the flavor and/or scent of fall. But did you know that pumpkin spice does not contain any pumpkin?
Pumpkin spice describes a popular spice blend that is typically used to flavor pumpkin pie. It is a combination of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. While many bakers have a special and sometimes secret recipe for this spice blend, it is usually 4 parts cinnamon to 1 part ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves respectively.
Interestingly, while pumpkins are native to temperate North America, all of the spices used in pumpkin spice blends are from tropical plants.
Did marshmallows originate from plants?
For some, the sweet potatoes on the Thanksgiving table are always topped with marshmallows. Not to mention, many Midwesterners prepare thanksgiving sides that contain this fluffy treat (ambrosia salad anyone?!).
Ancient Egyptians were the first people to enjoy the predecessor to the modern marshmallow as early as 2000 B.C. This very special treat was made from the mallow plant (Athaea officinalis). The native range of this plant includes Europe, Western Asia and North Africa but it has also become naturalized in North America. The name marsh mallow is derived from its preference to grow in wet, marshy areas and its place in the mallow family (Malvaceae). Plants grow best in full sun and tolerate a wide range of soil conditions. Flowers appear on 3 to 6 foot tall stems in mid to late summer. Plants are perennials hardy to USDA Zones 3 to 9.
The early marshmallow was made from the sap of the plant where it was mixed with nuts and honey. It did not likely resemble the marshmallows we enjoy today, but there is no record of its appearance. In the early 1800s Europeans started using the sap of the mallow root to create a fluffy candy. It was incredibly labor intensive, but very popular. By the late 1800s, this demand led to a change in the process for making marshmallows making it more efficient. At the same time the sap from the mallow root was replaced with gelatin. This is what led to the marshmallows we know today.
While the modern marshmallow contains no mallow plant, it exists today because of plant-based origins.
Photo credits: 1: Abi Olayiwola/AdobeStock; 2: Jim Meadows/Harvest Public Media; 3: detry26/AdobeStock; 4: Studio Barcelona/AdobeStock; 5: Ruckszio/AdobeStock