Although I very much dislike the common name "Elephant Ear", Colocasia esculenta is sold and grown in many parts of North America using that overly used nomer. 1999. C. esculenta cv. Closely related to Taro (Calocasia esculenta), but with smaller corms, it is easier to grow because it is hardier than taro; can grow on lighter, poorer soils; and succeeds with less rainfall and lower temperatures[ In Taiwan, taro— yùtóu (芋頭) in Mandarin, and ō͘-á (芋仔) in Taiwanese—is well-adapted to Taiwanese climate and can grow almost anywhere in the country with minimal maintenance. The Hawaii Agricultural Statistics Service determined the 10-year median production of kalo in Hawaii to be about 6.1 million pounds (2,800 t). Boiled bal is a snack at lunch along with chutney or hot chili-flakes besides being cooked as a main dish along with smoked or dried meat, beans, and mustard leaves. There are differences among the roots mentioned above: taro or dasheen is mostly blue when cooked, tanya is white and very dry, and eddoes are small and very slimy. Origin. Taro corms are a food staple in African, Oceanic, and South Asian cultures (similar to yams), and taro is believed to have been one of the earliest cultivated plants. The leaves are used to make laulau, from the corm poi or paʻiʻai. Corms with flesh which is white throughout are referred to as minty-coco. Nonnative to Florida FISC Category 1 Invasive. It is also prepared as a curry. The crop attains maturity within six to twelve months after planting in dry-land cultivation and after twelve to fifteen months in wetland cultivation. The Atlas of Florida Plants provides a source of information for the distribution of plants within the state and taxonomic information. The most popular dish is a spicy curry made with prawn and taro corms. It makes an “imperial” specimen in large containers and water gardens. Harvesting is usually done by hand tools, even in mechanized production systems. The corms are also made into a paste with spices and eaten with rice. there has been renewed interest in exotic foods and consumption is increasing. The dessert is traditionally sweetened with water chestnut syrup, and served with ginkgo nuts. The Roman cookbook Apicius mentions several methods for preparing taro, including boiling, preparing with sauces, and cooking with meat or fowl. Large taro leaves are used as an alternative to an umbrella when unexpected rain occurs. Boiled taro is readily available in the market packaged in small cellophane bags, already peeled and diced, and eaten as a snack. Once harvested, kalo is incorporated into many foods. The taro corm is a traditional staple crop for large parts of Papua New Guinea, with a domestic trade extending its consumption to areas where it is not traditionally grown. Many varieties are recorded in Sri Lanka, several being edible, others being toxic to humans and therefore not cultivated. The dessert is commonly served at traditional Teochew wedding banquet dinners as the last course, marking the end of the banquet. Chopped leaves and petioles are mixed with Urad bean flour to make dried balls called maseura (मस्यौरा). Then steamed and in small portions, as well as fried in the deep fryer. For differentiation, potatoes are called batata-inglesa (literally, "English potato"), a name used in other regions and sociolects to differentiate it from the batata-doce, "sweet potato", ironic names since both were first cultivated by the indigenous peoples of South America, their native continent, and only later introduced in Europe by the colonizers. They are the most important and the most preferred among the four, because they were less likely to contain the irritating raphides present in the other plants. Preferred Scientific Name. The Ancient Greek word κολοκάσιον (kolokasion, lit. Neuters grow above the females, and are rhomboid or irregular orium lobed, with six or eight cells. It spread by cultivation eastward into Southeast Asia, East Asia and the Pacific Islands; westward to Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean Basin; and then southward and westward from there into East Africa and West Africa, where it spread to the Caribbean and Americas. Colocasia esculenta, commonly called taro or elephant ear, is a tuberous, stemless, frost-tender perennial of the arum family (see also calla lily and jack-in-the-pulpit) which typically grows 3 … Wild taro, dasheen. The leaves of only two variety, kolakana ala and kalu alakola are eaten. A terse guide, giving reasonable detail on the more common leaf crops and brief information on a wide range of lesser known plants. Various parts of the plant are eaten by making different dishes. Compared to potato chips, taro chips are harder and have a nuttier flavor. The website also provides access to a database and images of herbarium specimens found at the University of South Florida and other herbaria. It is boiled in a tomato sauce or cooked with meat, beans and chickpeas. Taro was consumed by the early Romans in much the same way the potato is today. The reason being: as young shoots grow from the corm of the kalo plant, so people, too, grow from their family.[59]. Colocasia esculenta (Taro or Dasheen) – “esculent” meaning edible, is grown not only for ornamental purposes. The closely related Xanthosoma species is the base for the popular Surinamese dish, pom. Species Overview. Hao, Sean. Wild taro is also known as elephant’s ear. McDonald's sells taro-flavored pies in China. But it is known around the globe by a variety of names including Black Magic, Taro, Wild Taro, Black Taro, … esculenta Schott, Caladium esculentum Hort. Icarians credit taro for saving them from famine during World War II. The corms are larger than what would be found in North American supermarkets. ... Common Name: Taro. Colocasia esculenta var. For maximum yields, the water level should be controlled so that the base of the plant is always under water. [58] The Hawaiian word for family, ʻohana, is derived from ʻohā, the shoot which grows from the kalo corm. Missouri Botanical Garden. In Manipur, another north-eastern state, taro is known as pan. Lū is the Tongan word for the edible leaves of the taro plant (called talo in Tonga), as well as the traditional dish made using them. Foliage: Its unusual cup-shaped leaves are green with purplish-black veins. Taro is cultivated and eaten by the Tharu people in the Inner Terai as well. Although pesticides could control both problems to some extent, pesticide use in the loʻi is banned because of the opportunity for chemicals to migrate quickly into streams, and then eventually the sea. The petiole is 0.8–1.2 m (2 ft 7 in–3 ft 11 in) high. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the use of taro dwindled in Europe. [43], It is a food staple in African, Oceanic and South Asian cultures.[25]. One mythological version of Hawaiian ancestry cites the taro plant as an ancestor to Hawaiians. Before the Taiwan Miracle made rice affordable to everyone, taro was one of the main staples in Taiwan. [53] Wetland-grown kalo need a constant flow of water, and to get this water, fields are usually positioned between the mauka (mountains) and makai (sea). The parcels are called palusami or lu'au. C. esculenta and other members of the genus are cultivated as ornamental plants, or for their edible corms, a traditional starch staple in many tropical areas. Satoimo has been propagated in Southeast Asia since the late Jōmon period. Taro cake is a delicacy traditionally eaten during Chinese New Year celebrations. Among the Urapmin people of Papua New Guinea, taro (known in Urap as ima) is the main source of sustenance along with the sweet potato (Urap: wan). Taro has remained popular in the Canary Islands. For gardeners, it is primarily grown as a foliage plant with huge, heart-shaped to arrowhead-shaped, conspicuously-veined, downward-pointing, peltate leaves (to 2' long) on long, stout, succulent stems. In Thai cuisine, taro Thai: เผือก (pheuak) is used in a variety of ways depending on the region. Sliced taro corms, deep fried in oil and mixed with red chili powder and salt, are known as 'saru chips'. A non-native apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata) is a major culprit along with a plant rot disease traced to a newly identified species of fungus in the genus Phytophthora that now affects kalo crops throughout Hawaii. After being peeled completely, it is cooked in one of two ways: cut into small cubes and cooked in broth with fresh coriander and chard and served as an accompaniment to meat stew, or sliced and cooked with minced meat and tomato sauce.[72]. Acra is a very popular street food in Haiti. [24][25] Taro is found widely in tropical and subtropical regions of South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Papua New Guinea, and northern Australia and is highly polymorphic, making taxonomy and distinction between wild and cultivated types difficult. Cite this page: Tropicos.org. [74] It is also commonly consumed in Guinea and parts of Senegal, as a leaf sauce or as a vegetable side, and is referred to as jaabere in the local Pulaar dialect. It was used in place of potatoes and dried to make flour. 'Fontanesii', a purple-leaved triploid from Sri Lanka, is commonly cultivated as an ornamental. In Shimla, a pancake-style dish, called patra or patid, is made using gram flour. Colocasia esculenta is a tropical plant grown primarily for its edible corms, a root vegetable most commonly known as taro (/ˈtɑːroʊ, ˈtæroʊ/), or kalo (see §Names and etymology for an extensive list). In Venezuela, taro is called ocumo chino or chino and used in soups and sancochos. [19][20][21][22][23] Many populations can be commonly found growing near drain ditches and bayous in Houston, Texas. It prefers full sun to part shade or filtered sun and can be a great plant for planting at the edge of the understory of a tree or as a border. Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott (Araceae) Vernacular name: bon Common name: wild taro (English), satoimo (Japanese) An erect, perennial herb, up to 1 m. or taller, storage stem (or corm) solid, cylindrical or spherical, up to 30 by 15 cm., usually brown, with lateral buds located above leaf scars. Wagner, W. L., D. R. Herbst, and S. H. Sohmer. Taro leaves and stems are pickled. This dish is popular with Indo-Trinidadian people. In Assam, a north-eastern state, taro is known as kosu (কচু). In Egypt, taro is known as qolqas (Egyptian Arabic: قلقاس, IPA: [ʔolˈʔæːs]). They include the Niah Caves of Borneo around 10,000 years ago,[31] Ille Cave of Palawan, dated to at least 11,000 year ago;[31][32] Kuk Swamp of New Guinea, dated to between 8250 BC and 7960 BC;[33][34] and Kilu Cave in the Solomon Islands dated to around 28,000 to 20,000 years ago. Hawaiians have traditionally used water irrigation systems to produce kalo. In Maharashtra, in western India, the leaves, called alu che paana, are de-veined and rolled with a paste of gram flour. tales in Javanese). [29][30], Archaeological traces of taro exploitation have been recovered from numerous sites, though whether these were cultivated or wild types can not be ascertained. Wetland fields produce ten to fifteen times more kalo per acre than dry fields. The flower is a spathe, yellow in colour, and fused along the stalk. The traditional staple however is the Swamp Taro known as Pulaka or Babai, a distant relative of the Taro but with a very long growing phase (3-5 years), larger and denser corms and coarser leaves. Wild taro was introduced into Florida in 1910 by U.S. Department of Agriculture as a substitute crop for potatoes. Taro (Colocasia esculenta) is regarded as an environmental weed in Queensland, New South Wales and south-western Western Australia. [35] In the case of Kuk Swamp, there is evidence of formalized agriculture emerging by about 10,000 years ago, with evidence of cultivated plots, though which plant was cultivated remains unknown. In Goan as well as Konkani cuisine taro leaves are very popular. This taro plant has saponin-like substances that cause a hot, itchy feeling in the mouth and throat. However, elephant’s ear more properly applies to another species of plant. [12][13], Taro is among the most widely grown species in the group of tropical perennial plants that are referred to as "elephant ears" when grown as ornamental plants.[14]. In the UK, it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Arum peltatum Lam. The species Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott is known by the common name Kachalu in Hindi. Considered the staple starch of traditional Polynesian cuisine, taro is both a common and prestigious food item that was first introduced to the Polynesian islands by prehistoric seafarers of Southeast Asian derivation. In St. Louis, however, tubers should be planted in the ground in mid-spring (after April 20), dug up in fall after first frost and then overwintered in a cool dry location (set in dry peat or wood shavings) where temperatures do not dip below 45°F, in somewhat the same manner as done for cannas. In Mithila, Bihar, taro corms are known as ədua (अडुआ) and its leaves are called ədikunch ke paat (अड़िकंच के पात). Since the late 20th century, taro chips have been available in many supermarkets and natural food stores. [39][40] Taro pollen and starch residue have also been identified in Lapita sites, dated to between 1100 BC and 550 BC. Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott. Warm, stagnant water causes basal rotting. When the Spanish and Portuguese sailed to the new world, they brought taro along with them. For example, the newer name for a traditional Hawaiian feast (luau) comes from the kalo. Beckwith, Martha Warren. [76] Fellsmere, Florida, near the east coast, was a farming area deemed perfect for growing dasheen. Another dish in which taro is commonly used is the Philippine national stew, sinigang, although radish can be used if taro is not available. Taro root is consumed in the south of Spain. Taro also plays an important role in the country's export trade. Colocasia esculenta is a tropical plant grown primarily for its edible corms, the root and vegetables. Flooded cultivation has some advantages over dry-land cultivation: higher yields (about double), out-of-season production (which may result in higher prices), and weed control (which flooding facilitates). Taro from some regions has developed particularly good reputations with (for instance) Lae taro being highly prized. The leaf buds called kosu loti (কচু লতি) are cooked with sour dried fruits and called thekera (থেকেৰা) or sometimes eaten alongside tamarind, elephant apple, a small amount of pulses, or fish. It is usually boiled and eaten with tea or other beverages, or as the main starch of a meal. The leaves are also sauteed with onions, hot pepper and garlic til they are melted to make a dish called "bhaji". Most of these herbaceous species in the arum or aroid family (Araceae) that are offered as ornamentals belong to the genera Colocasia, Alocasia, and Xanthosoma, although there are others that have similar appearance and growth habits. Arum nymphaeifolium (Vent.) In Turkey, Colocasia esculenta is locally known as gölevez and mainly grown on the Mediterranean coast, such as the Alanya district of Antalya Province and the Anamur district of Mersin Province. Sustainable Agriculture, This page was last edited on 8 December 2020, at 01:55. It is of particular concern in south-eastern Queensland, where it invades waterways and wetlands and replaces native aquatic plants. Soups contain large chunks of several kinds of tubers, including ocumo chino, especially in the eastern part of the country, where West Indian influence is present. in cooking process taro is diced and cook along with rice and dried shrimp and sesame oil. This is due to air spaces in the petiole, which permit underwater gaseous exchange with the atmosphere. A similar plant in Japan is called satoimo (里芋、サトイモ, literally "village potato"). "Rain, pests and disease shrink taro production to record low". It is sometimes called the Polynesian potato. Roots are mixed with dried fish and turmeric, then dried in cakes called sidhara which are curried with radish, chili, garlic and other spices to accompany rice. Similarly, it is also considered disrespectful to fight in front of an elder and one should not raise their voice, speak angrily, or make rude comments or gestures. Taro usually known as "Keladi Pontianak" although other variety of Taro also known as "Talas Bogor", etc. Arum esculentum L. Arum lividum Salisb. The starch is easily digestible, and since the grains are fine and small it is often used for baby food. The leaves and stems of certain varieties of taro are also used as a vegetable in Kerala. Arum esculentum L., ... Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott in Schott & Endl., Melet. Ceremonial presentations on occasion of chiefly rites or communal events (weddings, funerals, etc.) The corms are sliced and fried to make chips and are also used to prepare varieties of sweets.[70]. The stalk, zuiki [ja], can also be prepared a number of ways, depending on the variety.[61]. Edible varieties (kiri ala, kolakana ala, gahala, and sevel ala) are cultivated for their corms and leaves. In Puerto Rico and Cuba, and the Dominican Republic it is sometimes called malanga or yautia. The leaves of the taro plant are used to make the Trinidadian variant of the Caribbean dish known as callaloo (which is made with okra, dasheen/taro leaves, coconut milk or creme and aromatic herbs) and it is also prepared similarly to steamed spinach. Definitions of what constitutes an inhame and a cará vary regionally, but the common understanding in Brazil is that carás are potato-like in shape, while inhames are more oblong. The prominence of the crop there has led it to be a staple of the population's diet. Web. It is used in the Cantonese dim sum to make a small plated dish called taro dumpling as well as a pan-fried dish called taro cake. In Belize, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama, taro is eaten in soups, as a replacement for potatoes, and as chips. It is a member of the Araceae family, which includes the philodendron, anthurium and dieffenbachia plants. The leaves are sometimes cooked into soups and stews. Typical dryland or "upland" varieties (varieties grown in watered but not flooded fields) in Hawaii are lehua maoli and bun long, the latter widely known as "Chinese taro". The spadix is about three fifths as long as the spathe, with flowering parts up to 8 mm (5⁄16 in) in diameter. These signals are usually less distinct in flooded taro cultivation. Callaloo is sometimes prepared with crab legs, coconut milk, pumpkin, and okra. The tuber itself is prepared in various ways, including baking, steaming in earth ovens (umu or imu), boiling, and frying. In the Sinhala language of Sri Lanka it is called "Kiri Ala" (කිරිඅල). It is made into the Korean traditional soup toranguk (토란국). Through migration to other countries, the inhame is found in the Azorean diaspora. Dasheen (also called "eddo") is another dryland variety of C. esculenta grown for its edible corms or as an ornamental plant. 20 Common Names: Taro, wild taro, dasheen Synonymy: Colocasia antiquorum var. Another technique for preparation is boiling it in salt water till it is reduced to a porridge. Northern farmers used to plant them to cook the stems and leaves to feed their hogs. Labeled an "aggressive weed" that grows in dense clusters along lake shores and riverbanks, displacing native shoreline vegetation. Etymology 'lotus root') is the origin of the Modern Greek word kolokasi (κολοκάσι), the word kolokas in both Greek and Turkish, and kolkas (قلقاس) in Arabic. Taro stolons or stems, kochur loti (কচুর লতি), are also favored by Bangladeshis and cooked with shrimp, dried fish or the head of the ilish fish. Taro is a popular dish in the hilly region. In Jamaica, taro is known as coco, cocoyam and dasheen. A sour fried dish is made from its flower (kosu kala). Crushed leaves and stems are mixed with de-husked urad daal (black lentils) and then dried as small balls called badi. Ideally, an ahupuaʻa has all the necessities within its borders. Taro roots can be used for medicinal purposes, particularly for treating insect bites. However, the toxin can be minimized and the tuber rendered palatable by cooking,[48] or by steeping in cold water overnight. The smaller variety of taro is more popular in the north due to its tenderness. In Greece, taro grows on Icaria. In its raw form, the plant is toxic due to the presence of calcium oxalate,[46][47] and the presence of needle-shaped raphides in the plant cells. U.S. Weed Information. The dish called patrodu is made using taro leaves rolled with corn or gram flour and boiled in water. 8 p. http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/SA-1.pdf. This plant can be weedy or invasive according to the authoritative sources noted below.This plant may be known by one or more common names in … Taro stems are often used as an ingredient in yukgaejang (육개장). wild taro. Pieces of boiled taro with coconut milk are a traditional Thai dessert. Taro was probably first native to the lowland wetlands of Malaysia, where it is called taloes. As the common name suggests, each leaf purportedly resembles an elephant's ear. The leaves and stalks are often traditionally preserved to be eaten in dry season as dawl rëp bai.[67][68]. A tall-growing variety of taro is extensively used on the western coast of India to make patrode, patrade, or patrada (lit. Taro is one of the few crops (along with rice and lotus) that can be grown under flooded conditions. Ala was widely grown in the southern atolls of Addu Atoll, Fuvahmulah, Huvadhu Atoll, and Laamu Atoll and is considered a staple even after rice was introduced. The delicate gaderi (taro variety) of Kumaon, especially from Lobanj, Bageshwar district, is much sought after. Another common method of preparing taro is to boil, peel then slice it into 1 cm (1⁄2 in) thick slices, before frying and marinating in edible "red" sumac. 2006. On auspicious days, women worship saptarshi ("seven sages") and only eat rice with taro leaves. On the other hand, in flooded production systems taro requires a longer maturation period, investment in infrastructure, and higher operational costs, and monoculture is likely. In Odisha, taro corms are known as saru. This stew is made with pork and beef, shrimp, or fish, a souring agent (tamarind fruit, kamias, etc.) Taro (simplified Chinese: 芋头; traditional Chinese: 芋頭; pinyin: yùtou; Cantonese Yale: wuhtáu) is commonly used as a main course as steamed taro with or without sugar, as a substitute for other cereals, in Chinese cuisine in a variety of styles and provinces steamed, boiled or stir-fried as a main dish and as a flavor-enhancing ingredient. The leaves, stems, and corms are all consumed and form part of the local cuisine. [73] Taro is called ñame (which normally designates yams) in Canarian Spanish and is a common crop in the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands (Canary Islands, Spain). Colocasia esculenta 'Illustris' Shade Color. Daughter and father then conceived a child together named Hāloanakalaukapalili (Long stalk trembling), but it was stillborn. When growing plants in garden soils, provide regular moisture, especially during dry summer periods, and do not allow soils to dry out. The Hawaiian laulau traditionally contains pork, fish, and lu'au (cooked taro leaf). aquatilis is native to the Kimberley region of Western Australia; variety esculenta is naturalised in Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales. It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, and petioles. It is commonly braised with pork or beef. Taro can be grown in paddy fields where water is abundant or in upland situations where water is supplied by rainfall or supplemental irrigation. In Gujarat, it is called Patar Vel or Saryia Na Paan green leaves are used by making a roll, with besan(gram flour), Salt, turmeric, red chili powder all put into paste form inside leaves. And in the center of each leaf water gathered, like a mother’s teardrop. The leaves are a good source of vitamins A and C and contain more protein than the corms. The dasheen variety, commonly planted in swamps, is rare, although appreciated for its taste. The food crop plant must be properly cooked before eating otherwise it can be upset the stomach. After that, it is stir-fried in lots of vegetable oil in a casserole until golden brown, then a large amount of wedged, melted onions are added, in addition to water, chickpeas and some seasoning. One is called khoai sọ, which is smaller in size and more delicious than Khoai môn, and of course, more expensive than khoai môn. In the Azores taro is known as inhame or inhame-coco and is commonly steamed with potatoes, vegetables and meats or fish. Sindhis call it kachaloo; they fry it, compress it, and re-fry it to make a dish called tuk which complements Sindhi curry. [63] Raw taro is also often sliced and deep fried and sold in bags as chips (เผือกทอด). esculenta. Leaves and corms of shola kochu and maan kochu are also used to make some popular traditional dishes. These plants are tuberous and are known to be used in some traditional Asian cuisine. A contemporary Hawaiian diet consists of many tuberous plants, particularly sweet potato and kalo. The English term taro was borrowed from the Maori language of New Zealand when Captain Cook first observed plantations of Colocasia tubers there in 1769. They are triangular-ovate, sub-rounded and mucronate at the apex, with the tip of the basal lobes rounded or sub-rounded. In Mizoram, in north-eastern India, it is called bäl; the leaves, stalks and corms are eaten as dawl bai. In Himachal Pradesh, in northern India, taro corms are known as ghandyali, and the plant is known as kachalu in the Kangra and Mandi districts. It is also consumed as a dessert after first being steamed and peeled, then fried in vegetable oil or lard, and finally sprinkled with sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. After the father and daughter buried the child near their house, a kalo plant grew over the grave:[56], The stems were slender and when the wind blew they swayed and bent as though paying homage, their heart-shaped leaves shivering gracefully as in hula. antiquorum (Schott) F. T. Hubb. It is a food staple in African, Oceanic and South Asian cultures. [10][11] Ocumo is the Venezuelan name for malanga, so ocumo chino means "Chinese malanga". Jivan hamro karkala ko pani jastai ho (जीवन हाम्रो कर्कलाको पानी जस्तै हो) means, "Our life is as vulnerable as water stuck in the leaf of taro". They can be prepared in a variety of ways, such as by deep-frying in oil to be eaten on the side with rice, or cooking in a tangy tamarind sauce with spices, onion, and tomato. The kalo of the earth was the sustenance for the young brother and became the principal food for successive generations. Taro is the pre-eminent crop of the Cook Islands and surpasses all other crops in terms of land area devoted to production. Growth Form: It is a clump growing aroid which can reach about 1.5 m tall. Recently[when?] Despite generally growing demand, production was even lower in 2005—only 4 million pounds, with kalo for processing into poi accounting for 97.5%. In northern Lebanon, it is known as a potato with the name borshoushi (el-orse borshushi). [citation needed]. Boiled corm of Taro is commonly served with salt, spices, and chilies. Cocoyam leaves, locally called kontomire in Ghana, are a popular vegetable for local sauces such as palaver sauce and egusi/agushi stew. Colocasia esculenta Taxonomy ID: 4460 (for references in articles please use NCBI:txid4460) current name. The largest Colocasia is C. gigantea 'Thailand Giant' which can have stalks that are 6 inches wide at the base and support leaves that can grow from 2-4 feet long. ", "A Brief History of Taro in Hawai`i ." Colocasia esculenta is thought to be native to Southern India and Southeast Asia, but is widely naturalised. These can be eaten whole, cut into pieces, or shallow fried and eaten as a snack known as alu chi wadi. Leaves are up to 40 cm × 24.8 cm (15 3⁄4 in × 9 3⁄4 in) and sprout from the rhizome. Ocumo is an indigenous name; chino means "Chinese", an adjective for produce that is considered exotic. The dish consists of chopped meat, onions, and coconut milk wrapped in a number of taro leaves (lū talo). In Haiti, it is usually called malanga, or taro. The form taro or talo is widespread among Polynesian languages:[4] taro in Tahitian; talo in Samoan; kalo in Hawaiian; taʻo in Marquesan. Native to eastern Asia, Colocasia esculenta, or Taro, is a tender herbaceous perennial that grows best in organically rich, wet soil and tropical climates. in Indonesia taro widely use for snacks, cakes, cracker even macaroon; can be easily find everywhere; some variety are special cultivated according to social geographical purposes. Native Introduced Native and Introduced As a dessert, it can be mashed into a purée or used as a flavoring in tong sui, ice cream, and other desserts such as Sweet Taro Pie. Hawaiian Kalo, Past and Future. Plants may also be grown as pond marginals in up to 6" of standing water. Hawaiian kalo. Wild taro, dasheen – Colocasia esculenta The wild taro is not native to Florida. & Rehder, with tuberous rhizome and clustered offsets, is cultivated for the starch-filled stem, as are numerous cultivars of the type variety. In Ghana, it substitutes for plantain in making fufu when plantains are out of season. Best used in very wet areas of the … Kalo is the Hawaiian name for the taro plant. Today this practice is no longer popular in Vietnam agriculture. It is also used to accompany meats in parrillas (barbecue) or fried cured fish where yuca is not available. The "child" and "grandchild" corms (cormels, cormlets) which bud from the parent satoimo, are called koimo (子芋) and magoimo (孫芋), respectively, or more generally imonoko (芋の子). In Lebanon, taro is known as kilkass and is grown mainly along the Mediterranean coast. It grows up to 1 m in height and the leaves are up to 50 cm long. The crop is harvested when the plant height decreases and the leaves turn yellow. Tubers may be left in the ground year-round in USDA Zones 8-10.