Sweet Potatoes and yams are not the same thing, but a lot of sweet potatoes resemble yams which often leads to confusion. Yams are starchier and drier than sweet potatoes and they also aren't as sweet. They're usually only found in international grocery stores, but grocers add to the confusion by sometimes labeling sweet potatoes as yams. Sweet potatoes can range in color from white, yellow, red, purple, or brown.