Fact: over 95% of the world’s yam crop is harvested in West Africa, where the most common methods of preparation are boiling, frying, and roasting. Amongst the Akan, there are two yam dishes you should be familiar with: eto, which is boiled yam mashed with palm oil, and fufu, a dough-like substance eaten by dunking small pieces into an accompanying soup or sauce—more often than not something peanut-y. The Yam Festival in Ghana is held at the beginning of August at the end of the rainy season, and it’s a truly tuberiffic good time. Read Less