Greengrocer market stalls with a decent exotics section have them, such as Seekings on Lynn market.I haven't seen them. Plenty of sweet potatoes, but not so much yams. I think you'd have to visit an Asian or Caribbean store for yams.
Unfamiliar food can take a bit of getting used to, and some of it is not going to be to your taste. I holidayed Japan as a young woman, and tried to experience all the tastes I could. After a few days I was suffering from taste-bud-PTSD. I could never guess what anything I put in my mouth was going to taste like. Sweet or savoury, or more often an unexpected combination of the two. And lots of emphasis umami, a concept that hadn't made it's way out of Japan at that time. So I had to try these things a few times, basically train my palate. You can't expect to enjoy a really unfamiliar taste the first time.Everything was bleedin horrible.
South African sweet potato:
boil the sweet potato (cubed) in boiling water with a little salt .... when soft, drain and before mashing, add a tablespoon of brown sugar and a level teaspoon of ground cinnamon
Pierogi.
Some of the more "archaic" cuts are by far the best! Cubester worked all summer at a wholesale butchers, and we often had a lot of what are now considered by some to be the "poorer" cuts. Pigs' cheeks for example, skirt, lamb breast, and an absolute revelation, hanger steak. Look it up, and if you like tasty coarse grain steak, try and source some. It's literally awesome.@dim That Oxtail recipe sounds great, have to try it. Unfortunately nobody seems to use want to these cheap cuts any more, but they can be delicious.
a packet of Knorr Minestrone soup,