Re: Edible Taro
- To: lindsey@mallorn.com
- Subject: Re: Edible Taro
- From: J* B*
- Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 17:26:40 -0500 (CDT)
-----Original Message-----
From: Alastair Robinson <Alastair_R@compuserve.com>
To: ju-bo@msn.com <ju-bo@msn.com>
Date: Monday, October 04, 1999 7:27 PM
Subject: Edible Taro
Dear Alastair,
These are from Colocasia e. esculenta, called Dasheen in the W.I., and I`d
bet were imported from Jamaica where it is extensively grown and exported.
You may see several different 'forms' of these rhizomes over a period of
time, as they seem to mature at different times. Here in Florida I`ve seen
several, one has the visible 'rings' or scars around the roundish tuber,
while another has more 'trunk-like' rhizomes, sometimes Y-shaped. Do not
confuse these with the smaller, more egg-shaped tubers of C.E. antiquorum,
commonly called 'Eddoes', grown and exported mainly from Florida, and not
favored by the Jamaicans. These are found in Indian ('Arvi') and
Thai/Vietnamese Groceries. Try cooking and eating them, treat as you would
potatos! I made a Shepherd`s pie with Dasheen topping for my talk on
edible Aroids a couple years ago, it went over well with the folks! Some
var.`s become white when peeled and cooked, others are greyish blue ('blue
metal' in T`dad, the best tasting var.).
These forms of Colocasia that produce a tuber may be more difficult to
cultivate in cool/cold climates, as they may require a longer growing season
than the stolon-producing var.`s.
Good luck!
Cheers,
Julius
>I was in China Town <London> yesterday afternoon and, while perusing some
of the market stalls, came across a basket of large tubers, each about 7
inches high and 5 inches in diameter - these were simply labelled 'Taro'.
Would anyone have any idea as to the identity of the plants that these came
from?
Thanks,
Alastair.<
__________________________
Alastair_R@compuserve.com
