Subject: ID from colloquial name
As there have been several recent posts regarding the identification of
items by their colloquial names, I recently picked up what appears to be a
taro-like tuber, fairly rounded (although some others were more elongated),
about 2.5"/6cm in diameter. It was in an Indian grocery store and the box
was marked "ARWI (Terra Root)". Is anyone familiar with this designation.
Thanks.
Don Martinson
dmartin@cdmas.crc.fmlh.edu
Dear Don,
Your Aroid is Colocasia esculenta, probably the eddoes type. Check if the
corms are about the size of eggs or slightly larger, elongate, and the narrow
tip uncut. If they are substantially larger, have the tops and bottoms
trimmed off, they are dasheen types. As I previously mentioned, the eddoe type
has been assigned the names C. e. var. antiquorum (or globlifera) while the
dasheen type is C.e. var.esculenta. This can be confusing, as there are many
distinct varieties of the larger dasheen type; I`ve come across at least two
or three here in S. Florida, not counting the eddoes, which are pretty stable.
"Arvi" (or "Arwi") is the Indian name, and "tierra root" was probably intended
to read "taro root", the Hawai`an name for Colocasias; their varieties are
then separated further by other Hawai`ian variety names such as "kumu", "piko
lehua", "uahi apele", etc..
Hope the above is of help.
Reguards,
Julius.
ju-bo@msn.com
P.S. In re-reading your discription, it seems that they def. are eddoes.
Peel them and try them in soups!! J.
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