Pounded Yam refers to a smooth dough of mashed yam which is usually eaten with vegetable soup or stew. Pounded Yam is much like mashed potatoes, but smoother, heavier and tastier. It is a very popular African food, especially in Nigeria, Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Benin and other parts of West Africa. Pounded Yam is purchased as a powder before being mixed with water to make a dough. Pounded Yam is sometimes called Pounded Iyan, the Yoruba word for Pounded Yam. Yoruba is the dialect of the Yoruba, a West African ethnic group.