Yams are large, cylindrical root vegetables that can grow to over a metre long and weigh as much as 70 kilograms. They are full of energy, easy to store, and can be cooked in many ways - boiled, pounded, roasted, or made into a thick paste called foutou. In many Ivorian communities the yam harvest determines the whole year's food security, so celebrating it is deeply meaningful.
The festival involves colourful processions, drumming, dancing, and the preparation of special foods made from the new yams. Village chiefs and elders lead ceremonies, and the first yam of the harvest is always offered to the ancestors before anyone eats. Musicians play traditional instruments including talking drums and balafons.
The Yam Festival is a time of community pride, with each village often competing to show off its most impressive yams. The celebration reinforces bonds between neighbours and strengthens the sense that the land and the people who farm it are deeply connected. It is also a way of passing agricultural knowledge from older farmers to younger generations.