Re: [Aroid-l] Edible Alocasias/recipe for vultures

From: <ju-bo at msn.com> on 2009.03.01 at 11:33:36 Dear Anne (and Carla)=2C First off=2C I do NOT believe ''all species of Alocasia are edible""=2C BE CAREFUL!!! Send us a photo of the plants being sold=2C they might be Xanthosoma (edible). Here in WPB=2C Florida certain ethnic groups do cook and eat the petioles (!) (leaf stems) of what is named ''Chinese taro'' in the horticultural trade=2C I believe it to be a cultivar of Alocasia macrorrhizos (spelling?)=2C their name for it is ''Bac ha'' or close to this. =3B I also see petioles (sans leaf blades!) of Colocasia sold in the same groceries. =3B No=2C I don`t have a recipe for preparing these petioles=2C but soon! =3B :--) Anne=2C your "Taro" from your homeland is one/many of the cultivars of the plant Colocasia esculenta=2C it is ''safe'' as it has been in cultivation by man for thousands of years (it is believed to be THE oldest cultivated crop=2C older than even rice)=2C and selections have been made over this time of vars. which are ''safe'' to eat.  =3BIn Deni Bown`s WONDERFUL book on aroids ("Aroids=2C Plants of the Arum Family"=2C GET IT!!) in her chapter on edible aroids=2C she discusses that A. macrorrhizos is cultivated and used as a ''minor'' =3B food crop in Malaysia=2C but the prep. is difficult as it contains high levels of acrid compounds. =3B It reminds me about a recipe I once was told for cooking a vulture. =3B =3B It was long and VERY involved (the gutting=2C skinning=2C pre-seasoning=2C the special and rare spices to use=2C etc.)=2C then it said to place the cleaned=2C seasoned and stuffed vulture wrapped in foil on a board and bake in an oven at 325 degs for 6 hours. =3B You were then instructed to "remove bird from board=2C place bird in the trash=2C and to serve and eat the board garnished w/ parsley." =3B To me=2C the prep. and eating of Alocasia is like this. In Australia I`d be VERY cautious=2C as there is a species of Alocasia native to Australia=2C A. brisbanensis which as a native wild species PROBABLY has VERY high levels of throat-burning compounds. I hope this information is of help. Good Growing=2C Julius Date: Fri=2C 27 Feb 2009 15:43:54 -0600 From: Carla.Kostelac@mobot.org To: aroid-l@gizmoworks.com Subject: [Aroid-l] Edible Alocasias Dear Aroiders=2C  =3B I received this message from Anne =3Bin Western Australia. Please read below and see if you can help to answer her question about Alocasias.  =3B Thank you=2C everyone!  =3B Best wishes=2C Carla  =3B Carla V. Kostelac Assistant to Tom Croat &=3B Research Specialist=2C Araceae Missouri Botanical Garden Box 299=2C St. Louis=2C Missouri 63116 (314) 577-5163 carla.kostelac@mobot.org Please send images to our FTP Server. ftp://garfile:garden2003@cissus.mobot.org/incoming/croat ftp://garfile:garden2003@cissus.mobot.org/outgoing/croat Hi Carla=2C How are you? I am from Western Australia and I have recently found some Alocasia plants being sold in a nursery. I would like to know whether all Alocasia species are edible. In my home country=2C Mauritius=2C we eat Colocasia esculenta and taro. How can I know whether the species in the store is edible? Thank you very much for any reply. I tried to email Rod=2C but I could not send emails to him. -- Anne  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B --_02854b52-1fa6-4bc6-8261-b5796b2eb4bc_----===============2451254488340808525==

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