Organizers of the Certified Farmers' Market in La Quinta have chosen sweet potatoes and yams as the Pick of the Week.

There are two common types of sweet potatoes. The paler-skinned sweet potato has a thin, light yellow skin with pale yellow flesh, which is not particularly sweet and has a dry, crumbly texture similar to that of a baking potato. The darker-skinned variety, which is most often mistaken for a yam, has a thicker, dark orange or reddish skin with a vivid orange, sweet flesh and a moist texture.

Yam tubers are generally sweeter than either variety of sweet potato and have brown or even black skin which can resemble the bark of a tree, and off-white, purple or red flesh, depending on the variety.

When sold in U.S. markets, they are generally harvested when young, and of a similar size as sweet potatoes.

This is not true in other parts of the world.

There are a variety of sweet potatoes and yams sold at the farmers market.

Prices start at $1.50 per pound.

The La Quinta farmers market is held from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sundays at 78-100 Main St. in Old Town La Quinta.

Staff reports