Traditional vs. healthy. Candied yams war

by S. C.

What’s the fastest growing family holiday controversy? A growing candied yams controversy is quietly dividing more families, especially around holiday tables. No, it’s not formed around political opinions or religious views, that would be too obvious. The controversy is around candied yams, one of the most famous holiday side dishes of all time. The sticking point comes from the traditional recipes of the past vs. healthier versions. And it’s affecting more families than you an imagine.

Old School vs. New School
The older family members want to stick to the traditional recipes they learned and enjoyed in their childhood and youth. The younger health conscious family members continue to lean toward healthier versions of this popular side dish. Both sides are drawing the lines in the sand more than you could imagine and the battle lines are often drawn in the kitchen and spreading all the way out to the holiday dinner table and beyond.
The Story of The New Bride and The Mother-in-Law
The feuds are especially drawn with new brides and the new mother-in-law. As you could imagine, nothing is more nerve racking than the first holiday meal prepared by the new bride. Add the fact of having a new bride whose health conscious and cooks like it, and a new mother in law whose traditional recipe to the core, in fact it’s not a holiday meal unless all the dishes contain high amounts of butter and sugar, etc. That itself can spell a recipe for kitchen controversy of the highest magnitude, a quiet war could erupt as easy as lighting a gasoline soaked match.

The traditional version is hands down the tastiest, most sumptuous and flavorful. But the drawback is the calories it contains. Why? Because it’s usually loaded with white and brown sugar, butter, salt and other calorie loading ingredients.

The Best of Both Worlds Solution
On the other hand the healthier version contains lighter ingredients, such as less or not butter, less or no sugar and no salt, to name a few. Instead many of the traditional ingredients are substituted by yogurt, organic honey, orange juice, lemon and other less or non fattening, low calorie ingredients. The healthier version is not as robust as the traditional, but is much lighter, healthier with less calories.

These two camps continues to quietly grow as more families fight this silent battle. Many form quiet protest by not eating the particular dish others avoid the meal entirely or eat before they go to the family meal. Perhaps to stop this family feud both sides should try and compromise. They’re many candied yam recipes online that help you to combine the health benefits and still maintain the robust flavors of the traditional versions.

by S. C.
19 December 2009 Teatro Naturale International n. 11 Year 1

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