Colocasia esculente

[Rui]

Just near my house.

After cleaning roots and dirt

 

[Toddy]

Is that Taro ?

Looks like a good meal if it is

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Rui]

Yes it is, in portuguese we call it Inhame.

It´s very good but only after cooking to destroy the poisonous calcium oxalate.

 

[Galemys]

Hi Rui,

is that an indigenous plant on the azores or was it planted on the islands by humans?

Cheers,

Tom

 

[Rui]

I think Taro is originary of Indonesia, but it was early planted in all tropical and subtropical parts of the world. It have high feeding potential and is easilly propagated.

It was introduced in Azores in the early XVII. Today is very important to the local gastronomy.

It's easy to find plants growing wild that escaped from culture.

Rui

 

[Bravo4]

Very distinctive leaves. A glance at google shows many delicious looking recipes, grilled Taro-leaf Mahi-Mahi, yummy. I'm reading that the leaves also contain calcium oxalate, made safe by cooking or soaking overnight in cold water. Soaking overnight, do you think that would be enough? Just curious and getting hungry.

 

[Rui]

The leaves I never tried.

The root when raw or when is not well cooked stills hurting the mouth ant throat like you where eating needles and fish hooks, this is caused by the oxalate crystals.

So I doubt that the soaking works.

 

[Bravo4]

I'm going to check the grocers, bet they have taro root. We had "elephant ears" in a garden many years ago, not sure if it's the same species. Such a cool plant, might have to look in the local greenhouses. Thanks for the post.
A couple of recipes,
http://www.hawaii.edu/hga/Lessons/maui98/TARO/trecip.htm

 

[Rui]

Eated last night, in a soup.