Japanese yam
Dioscorea japonica

Family: Dioscoreaceae

What it is like

A yam. The stem twines to the right. The tubers are vertical and like a cylinder and 3 cm across. They are brown on the outside and white inside. The lower leaves are alternate and the higher leaves are opposite. They are elongated and irregular and 5-10 cm long by 2-5 cm wide.

There are about 650 species of Dioscorea.

Where it is found

A temperate to subtropical plant. It grows in high mountains and on the edges of forests. In China it grows on mountain slopes and along river valleys between 100-1,200 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 4-10. In Sichuan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Brazil, Cape Verde, China, Indochina, Japan, Korea, Laos, SE Asia, South America, Taiwan, Thailand, USA

How it is used for food

The tubers are cut in slices and boiled. They can be baked. They are grated and eaten with vinegar and added to soups. They can be used as a binding agent for other foods. Vine tips are eaten steamed or stir-fried. The bulbils are cooked and eaten.

It is cultivated.

Edible parts

Tubers, root, bulbils, leaf tips

How it is grown

It can be grown from the bulbils.

Its other names

Local names

Jinenjo, Ri ben shu yu, Shan yao, Shan yu, Taiwanese yam, Yama-no-imo

Synonyms

Dioscorea belophylloides Prain & Burkill; Dioscorea japonica var. pseudojaponica (Hayata) Yamamoto; Dioscorea japonica var. ten-uiaxon Prain & Burkill; Dioscorea kiangsiensis R. Knuth; Dioscorea pseudo-japonica Hayata;