Edible Taro

From: Alastair Robinson Alastair_R at compuserve.com> on 1999.10.04 at 23:27:09(3687) I was in China Town 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? +More Thanks, Alastair. __________________________ Alastair_R@compuserve.com

From: Shing Lam slam at cyberbase.com.hk> on 1999.10.05 at 22:16:11(3693) Alastair, Taro is Colocasia esculenta, which is widely grown as a food crop in south east asia. +More Regards Shing HONG KONG

From: "J D Prince" Nestlebrae.Exotics at xtra.co.nz> on 1999.10.05 at 22:22:02(3694) Edible taro is Colocasia esculenta and its subspecies which have an enormous variety of names depending on where you are in the world. According to "Queer gear: how to buy and cook exotic fruit and vegetables" by Carolyn Heal and Michael Allsop, who are writing about things likely to be found in the U.K., Colocasia esculenta var. antiquorum is called eddoe, C.e. var. sculenta is dasheen, but both are also called taro. In the Pacific Islands there are probably hundreds of different "varieties". Fijians alone recognise more than 80 different sorts, so what you saw is probably one of them. If you kept it warm and moist it would probably sprout and grow. You can eat the leaves of them as well as the tubers, though both are somewhat of an acquired taste: the tubers are much drier than potatoes. John Prince & Rosemary Steele, Nestlebrae Exotics, 219 South Head Road, Parkhurst, R.D.1 Helensville, New Zealand 1250. email +More phone (64) (09) 420 7312 website: http://www.helensville.co.nz/nestlebrae.htm

From: "Julius Boos" ju-bo at email.msn.com> on 1999.10.05 at 22:26:40(3695) 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 +More >I was in China Town 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

From: "E.T." tomere at club-internet.fr> on 1999.10.05 at 22:49:48(3700) Very common at china town in Paris too. It's Colocasia esculenta. Regards. Alastair Robinson a ?crit: +More > I was in China Town 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 -- ----------------------------------- Eric THOUMIRE - Z.7b St Maur des Fosses (suburb of Paris) France -----------------------------------

From: Diana Pederson plantaholic at surfree.com> on 1999.10.06 at 02:14:31(3703) I just acquired a plant the florist called a "red velvet philodendron". Can someone give me the proper name please. +More -- Diana Pederson, Lansing, Michigan, United States, USDA Zone 5 Editor: http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/enabling_garden

From: Alastair Robinson Alastair_R at compuserve.com> on 1999.10.07 at 22:25:58(3715) I'd like to extend a gracious "Thank You" to all those who responded to my post - the information that you were kind enough to provide has been most helpful, and certainly much more than I would have expected! Warmest Regards, Alastair. +More __________________________ Alastair_R@compuserve.com

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