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Araceae
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Taro (Cocoyam); Yu Tou; Ubi Keladi(M); Shepang Kelengu(T); Woo-Tau(C). Colocasia esculenta Schott. (Araceae) |
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| An erect, herbaceous perennial aroid with large peltate leaves on long petioles. The corms differ in colour and size, the most popular being keladi China - a cylindrical corm about 30cm long with pinkisk white flesh. Both leaves and corms contains groups of exceedingly sharp crystals of calcium oxalate which puncture the delicate skin of the mouth and tongue and cause intense irritation. Some varieties have higher acridity but most of the cultivated varieties are free from it. Since the crystals are found in the superficial tissues of the corm, peeling is desirable. The acridity is also destroyed by cooking or baking. This plant rarely flowers, as a result of a long history of cultivation based of vegetative propagation. |
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| Origin |
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Taro is now known as a wild plant. It is a native of india and parts of South-Eastern Asia, where it spread to Egypt at about the time of Christ and then into Italy and Spain. It also spread to Polynesia and other Pacific Islands and has been one of man's best friends - a staple food - in Pacific, where it is known as Taro.
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| Uses |
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The corms of Taro are the "potatoes" of the tropics, being superior to potatoes in nutritional value, containing a higher proportion of proteins, calcium and phosphorus. The main bulk is starch, present in very fine grains that makes them easily digestible. The corms can be boiled, roasted, fried as chips (nice nutty flavour) or cooked in curries and 'santan' (a favourite Malay preparation). The young leaves and petioles are also used as food and cooked like any other green vegetable.
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Tannia, Yautia; Yu Tou; Keladi(M); Woo-Tau(C).
Xanthosoma sagittifolium (L.) Schott (Araceae)
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| A herb with big, green, sagittate leaves with a submarginal vein. The juice from a fresh cut is thick and milky. It sprouts easily from a long rhizome that gives off lateral buds which develop into tubers. |
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It is of tropical American origin and was planted in the tropics by the Portuguese and Spainiards.
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| Uses |
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The young leaves can be eaten boiled. The root tubers contain about 20% starch and can be consumed, cooked in a variety of ways.
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