Looking them up, it sounds like they’re the same species as American sweet-potato, which is one more bit of evidence for early contact between Polynesians and South America.
I believe they are different. Kumala (in Fijian) is very different than a yam. Yams and uvi are more tubular, and the skin will slip off after cooking and kumala is more bulbous. Google shows different pictures than what I remember, showing kumala closer to taro (dalo in Fijian).
And now do kūmara! They sometimes get called sweet potatoes in New Zealand
Looking them up, it sounds like they’re the same species as American sweet-potato, which is one more bit of evidence for early contact between Polynesians and South America.
I believe they are different. Kumala (in Fijian) is very different than a yam. Yams and uvi are more tubular, and the skin will slip off after cooking and kumala is more bulbous. Google shows different pictures than what I remember, showing kumala closer to taro (dalo in Fijian).