Supercrop: the yam bean, a tuber undaunted by drought, poor soil, or insects, produces astonishing yields. The crop is the focus of a worldwide effort to unlock its potential

Natural History, April, 2004 by Marten Sorensen

Getting people to eat something new, however, can be quite a challenge. When the yam bean was first introduced into Tonga, local people were reluctant to accept it, even though the traditional Tongan diet is based largely on tubers and other subterranean crops. The yam bean's crisp, juicy quality--and the idea of eating the tuber raw--struck the Tongans as exotic and peculiar.

Nevertheless, the combination of the demand by local Asian and European residents, the ease of cultivation, and the introduction of the chuin cultivar, which must be cooked, has persuaded Tongans to grow, sell, and swallow yam beans in increasing quantities. The news from Benin is similarly encouraging: thanks to media coverage, several field trials have had to cope with the "problem" of unauthorized nighttime sampling by local farmers. The biggest practical problem, though, is the availability of seeds for local cultivation.

Today crops are grown on only about 12 percent of the Earth's land surface. But if we Pachyrhizus aficionados have our way, your local health food store will soon be selling freshly pressed jicama juice as an alternative to carrot juice; your local bakery will be creating pastries made with chuin paste; your local supermarket will be stocking yam bean oil in the salad-dressing aisle; and you'll be spraying rotenone on the tomato plants in your backyard. Just give us a few more years.