edible aroids

From: tychen at ippfwhr.org on 1997.04.15 at 18:39:37(621) regarding this recent trend on edible aroids, i would like to offer the following observations. 1) regarding bac ha, neil wrote: +More "I can't shed much light on bac ha but I do know of a chinese green vegetable called bok choi - I guess the bac/bok part may be a standard prefix for leafy greens. " i doubt that is accurate. i don't speak vietnamese (bac ha) nor cantonese (bok choy) but in taiwanese, peh-tsai ("white vegetable") denotes nappa cabbage and is a widespread term that in other chinese dialects is applied to other leafy vegetables, including the one that we call bok choy, (i suspect "bok" is cantonese for white). incidentally, "tsai" (taiw.) or "choy" (cant.) not only designates leafy vegetables but also is used to mean "dish", as in, "we should order two dishes for dinner tonight." 2) regarding the long dormancy of taro corms, i wouldn't be surprised about the longevity of plant matter and its ability to "ressuscitate". there was a magnolia seed that was found in an excavation in japan that was dated to be at least 2,000 years old. the seed sprouted and after it bloomed, the plant was identified to be an extinct magnolia that existed thousands of years ago! so why not for corms? 3) growing up in brazil of taiwanese parents who were culturally japanese (because of japanese colonization of taiwan - reinforced by the fact that we lived in the japanese section of sao paulo), we ate a lot of japanese foodstuff, including "konyakku" which i understand comes from the corms of amorphophallus konjac. konyakku is a bland, somewhat translucent, starchy, firm paste (much firmer than jello), that is sliced and sauteed with other vegetables in a curry sauce, for example. it doesn't taste half bad. 4) here in new york's chinatown, some vegetarian restaurants serve dishes made of "yams", including translucent noodles. i suspect that the yams used are not the true yams (dioscoraea) nor sweet potatoes (ipomoea), but an aroid, possibly amorphophallus. would anyone know for sure? 5) eduardo, i never heard of tapioba (xanthosoma) while in growing up in brazil. maybe one day, you can send us some? :-) tsuh yang chen, new york city

From: shlam at eee.hku.hk (LAM Shing) on 1997.04.16 at 03:01:17(624) > i doubt that is accurate. i don't speak vietnamese (bac ha) nor > cantonese (bok choy) but in taiwanese, peh-tsai ("white vegetable") > denotes nappa cabbage and is a widespread term that in other chinese > dialects is applied to other leafy vegetables, including the one that > we call bok choy, (i suspect "bok" is cantonese for white). > incidentally, "tsai" (taiw.) or "choy" (cant.) not only designates > leafy vegetables but also is used to mean "dish", as in, "we should > order two dishes for dinner tonight." Right. FYI, under the pinyin system, the same vegetable is written as "bai4 cai4" (the numerals denote the tone). +More > 4) here in new york's chinatown, some vegetarian restaurants serve > dishes made of "yams", including translucent noodles. i suspect that > the yams used are not the true yams (dioscoraea) nor sweet potatoes > (ipomoea), but an aroid, possibly amorphophallus. would anyone know > for sure? Amorphophallus spp. (albus, konjac, etc.) are being cultivated in a sizable scale in China for the starch. After processing, the starch is used to make a variety of food products, from fruit jelly to noodles, and notably imitation meat products for vegetarians. -- Shing LAM ªL¸Û shlam@plato.eee.hku.hk Hong Kong

From: "Julius Boos" <ju-bo at msn.com> on 1997.04.21 at 03:27:42(652) ---------- Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 1997 2:39 PM To: Julius Boos +More Subject: edible aroids regarding this recent trend on edible aroids, i would like to offer the following observations. 1) regarding bac ha, neil wrote: "I can't shed much light on bac ha but I do know of a chinese green vegetable called bok choi - I guess the bac/bok part may be a standard prefix for leafy greens. " i doubt that is accurate. i don't speak vietnamese (bac ha) nor cantonese (bok choy) but in taiwanese, peh-tsai ("white vegetable") denotes nappa cabbage and is a widespread term that in other chinese dialects is applied to other leafy vegetables, including the one that we call bok choy, (i suspect "bok" is cantonese for white). incidentally, "tsai" (taiw.) or "choy" (cant.) not only designates leafy vegetables but also is used to mean "dish", as in, "we should order two dishes for dinner tonight." > 2) regarding the long dormancy of taro corms, i wouldn't be surprised > about the longevity of plant matter and its ability to > "ressuscitate". there was a magnolia seed that was found in an >excavation in japan that was dated to be at least 2,000 years old. >the seed sprouted and after it bloomed, the plant was identified to >be an extinct magnolia that existed thousands of years ago! so why >not for corms? I agree. Remember that some Aroids, seemingly when under stress, will produce TINY tubers or bulbils that are difficult to observe, that wash away, or blow away from the "mother" plant. This happens in Caladium bicolor; I have not seen it reported in the literature as yet. It explains why you find small plants growing where you have not planted them!. > 3) growing up in brazil of taiwanese parents who were culturally > japanese (because of japanese colonization of taiwan - reinforced by >the fact that we lived in the japanese section of sao paulo), we ate >a lot of japanese foodstuff, including "konyakku" which i understand >comes from the corms of amorphophallus konjac. konyakku is a >bland, > somewhat translucent, starchy, firm paste (much firmer than jello), > that is sliced and sauteed with other vegetables in a curry sauce, >for example. it doesn't taste half bad. It`s also sold as noodles[see below]. Phil Mueller sent me a can some years ago; it`s also available in Chinese groceries. It`s made from Amorphophallus starch. > 4) here in new york's chinatown, some vegetarian restaurants serve > dishes made of "yams", including translucent noodles. i suspect that >the yams used are not the true yams (dioscoraea) nor sweet potatoes >(ipomoea), but an aroid, possibly amorphophallus. would anyone know >for sure? Yes, they are made from Amorphophallus starch["Elephant yams" is one of the names used]. You can purchase the can and it`s labled as such! > 5) eduardo, i never heard of tapioba (xanthosoma) while in growing up >in brazil. maybe one day, you can send us some? :-) Dear Tsuh Yang-- Ask in any Jamaican or Trinidadian or W.Indian grocery for"dasheen bush to make Calaloo"[Jamacians will try to sell you a can labled as "calaloo", but these are spinach leaves, and have a different flavor.]The dasheen [taro] leaves are tied together, and sold freshly harvested! Yesterday I bought some locally here in West Palm Beach, Florida. To my delight there were also land crabs for sale , their leg`s tied with vines as you`d see them in Trinidad! You can use American "blue" crabs in their place, but clean all crabs first by removing their backs, aprons, gills, etc., and scrub with a brush [no soap!]! The following recipe can be prepared with fresh or canned spinach, but the subtle flavor of the dasheen [taro] leaves will be missing. I`m sure that the Xanthosoma [tapioba] leaves mentioned by Eduardo would be simular. ENJOY! "TRINIDADIAN CALALOO". 1 1/2 doz. dasheen [taro] leaves . 3 crabs [cleaned shrimp can be used, but they give a different flavor.] 1/4 lb. pickled["salt"] beef or ham bone. 1 doz. fresh okras. 1 tbsp. butter. 1/2 lime. 1 onion. 5 garlic cloves. 1 bay leaf [optional] 1 sprig of fresh thyme.[optional.] Salt, black pepper, other seasonings to taste. 1 Pint boiling water.[1/2 pint if you use the coconut "cream".] METHOD.[Serves aprox. four] Break CLEANED crabs at mid-line, and using a ceramic or steel[NOT aluminum!] bowl, squeeze 1/2 lime over them; add salt,black pepper, and 1/2 the garlic [finely minced],and reserve. Wash and soak salt beef for one hour to remove excess salt, cut up into small pieces and reserve. Strip the "skin" from the leaf stalks and mid- ribs.[you don`t need to remove all of it], shred and reserve. Cut"heads" and "tips" off the okras and discard, cut the rest of okras into rings, reserve. METHOD. Place all the ingredients except butter in an enamelled or steel [no aluminium or iron] pot and pour on boiling water, simmer for 30 mins, add butter, stir briskly to break up leaves, serve hot! Add hot W.I. pepper sauce to taste! Note:- If you want to REALLY make it Trinidad-country style [and Brazilians will LOVE this!], add the following:-- COCONUT "CREAM". METHOD. Pierce a dry coconut at the "eyes", drain water and reserve.{SMELL these eyes when you are purchasing the coconut; if it smells rancid, or "off", choose another one!!] Break it open with a hammer, or by hitting it sharply on the cement floor of your garage, or on a rock! Carefully remove meat from shell with a knife[CAREFULLY!] Place coconut "meat",coconut "water", and 1 more cup of tap water in a blender and grind together; strain and squeeze through cheese cloth, discard coconut "meat". Use this "cream" by adding it to the calaloo 15 mins. before it`s done, and reduce the amount of water by the amount of "cream" you will use. Julius. ju-bo@msn.com tsuh yang chen, new york city

From: eduardo gomes goncalves <eggon at guarany.cpd.unb.br> on 1997.04.23 at 02:32:43(666) On Sun, 20 Apr 1997, Julius Boos wrote: > ---------- > From: aroid-l@mobot.org on behalf of tychen@ippfwhr.org > Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 1997 2:39 PM > To: Julius Boos > Subject: edible aroids > > > 5) eduardo, i never heard of tapioba (xanthosoma) while in growing up > >in brazil. maybe one day, you can send us some? :-) > Dear Tsuh Yang-- Ask in any Jamaican or Trinidadian or W.Indian grocery > for"dasheen bush to make Calaloo"[Jamacians will try to sell you a can labled > as "calaloo", but these are spinach leaves, and have a different flavor.]The > dasheen [taro] leaves are tied together, and sold freshly harvested! > Yesterday I bought some locally here in West Palm Beach, Florida. To my > delight there were also land crabs for sale , their leg`s tied with vines as > you`d see them in Trinidad! You can use American "blue" crabs in their place, > but clean all crabs first by removing their backs, aprons, gills, etc., and > scrub with a brush [no soap!]! The following recipe can be prepared with > fresh or canned spinach, but the subtle flavor of the dasheen [taro] leaves > will be missing. I`m sure that the Xanthosoma [tapioba] leaves mentioned by > Eduardo would be simular. ENJOY! Julius and Tsuh, Ok, let's continue our gastronomical trends in aroids. The vernacular name for Xanthosoma sagittifolium here is TAIOBA (not tapioba). It is a very common dish here in Central Brazil (Goias, Minas Gerais, etc) and I ate it last week. It is somewhat similar to spinach, but much more tasty. People also use to cook the leaves with some kind of meat. Next week I'll try to cook the leaves of Taro (Colocasia) in the same way. If I survive, then you'll have a new message from me soon... (just kidding!). Best wishes, Eduardo.

From: papillote at tod.dm on 1997.04.23 at 15:07:21(667) Dear Eduardo In Dominica we make calaloo with the young furled leaves of Colocasia esculenta. The skin from the rib of the leaf is removed with a knife before cooking. Sometimes we add the milk from the coconut to make it richer. We peel and parboil the corm, crush it and mix it with chopped onion, celery, spices and a little butter,roll it into fingers and fry it golden. Anne Anne G. J. Baptiste Papillote Wilderness Retreat +More papillote@tod.dm http://www.delphis.dm/papillot.htm http://papillote.com

From: "Julius Boos" <ju-bo at msn.com> on 1997.04.24 at 02:58:04(668) ---------- Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 1997 11:07 AM To: Julius Boos +More Subject: RE: edible aroids >Dear Eduardo >In Dominica we make calaloo with the young furled leaves of Colocasia >esculenta. >The skin from the rib of the leaf is removed with a knife before cooking. >Sometimes we add the milk from the coconut to make it richer. >We peel and parboil the corm, crush it and mix it with chopped onion, celery, >spices and a little butter,roll it into fingers and fry it golden. >Anne >Anne G. J. Baptiste >Papillote Wilderness Retreat >papillote@tod.dm >http://www.delphis.dm/papillot.htm >http://papillote.com Dear Anne, Did you read my receipe for calaloo, and what did you think of it as a fellow W.Indian? We do something simular to your fried Dasheen "fingers", but with raw grated Tannia [Xanthosoma sagittifolia], the white of an egg,chopped onion, garlic, etc. fried in hot oil. It`s called "tannia fritters"

Note: this is a very old post, so no reply function is available.