Taro

Taro
Taro, Colocasia esculenta, is one of the most favored staple foods in
the Pacific islands. It is a root crop with fine grained easily digestible starch.
The edible underground portion is a single large corm. The leaves are also
used as a nutritious green vegetable in many recipes.
Many different varieties of taro exist. However these should not be
confused with two other food plants Xanthosoma and Alocasia. The former
plant is similar in size and appearance, but the eaten part is a cluster of
smaller cormels. Alocasia is also called Giant Taro as it is grows 5-12 feet
tall on a rigid above ground stem, which is the edible portion.
Handling the uncooked taro corm or leaves may cause itchiness. This
is due to Calcium crystals which are broken down when heated thoroughly.
No part of the taro plant should be eaten raw.
When cooked taro can be prepared in many ways; steamed, boiled,
fried, and even made into flour for baked goods. Hawai’ian Poi is a form of
mashed taro with water that is fermented before eating. The high digestibility
and non-allergenic qualities of taro corms also make it is ideal baby food.
Estimated Nutritional Values
Amount/Serving % DV* Amount/Serving % DV*
Calories 187 kcal 9 % Carbohydrate 46 Gm 15 %
Total Fat 0 Gm 0 % Iron 1 Mg 6 %
Saturated Fat 0 Gm 0 % Calcium 24 Mg 2 %
Cholesterol 0 Mg 0 % Vitamin A 0 IU 0 %
Sodium 20 Gm 1 % Vitamin C 6.6 Mg 11 %
Protein 1 Gm 2 %
*Percent daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
Nutritional Values are based on 1 cup of cooked taro
Milk: 0 Veg: 0 Fruit: 0 Bread: 2 Meat: 0