Grocery store aroids

From: grsjr at juno.com (George R Stilwell, Jr.) on 1997.09.19 at 13:11:04(1269) Julius, I found some bulbs bigger than a softball in a bin with some Taro roots at the local grocery. I peeled off a sticker that had the food name on it and promptly lost it on the way home. +More The bulb/corm/tuber? was very symetrical, smooth, tan in color, sort of more pointed on top and more flattened on the bottom. There appeared to be circular marks like meridians around it but not really very distinct. I got the impression that it is a West Indian food. My curiosity is killing me. I think I'd recognize the name. Do you have any suggestions? Ray

From: "Julius Boos" <ju-bo at classic.msn.com> on 1997.09.20 at 03:45:49(1275) ---------- Sent: Friday, September 19, 1997 9:11 AM To: ju-bo@msn.com +More Subject: Grocery store aroids Julius, I found some bulbs bigger than a softball in a bin with some Taro roots at the local grocery. I peeled off a sticker that had the food name on it and promptly lost it on the way home. The bulb/corm/tuber? was very symetrical, smooth, tan in color, sort of more pointed on top and more flattened on the bottom. There appeared to be circular marks like meridians around it but not really very distinct. I got the impression that it is a West Indian food. My curiosity is killing me. I think I'd recognize the name. Do you have any suggestions? Ray Dear Ray, It sounds like you have been lucky enough to have purchased some Dasheen!! (A.K.A. malanga cabeca, malanga islenea, taro. kalo, etc.) Peel, cut into 2" cubes, boil in salted water for about 20 mins or untill it tests "done", mash, add butter, milk, a little garlic powder, some grated cheese, place in a greased bowl, cover with grated cheese, bake for 25 mins at 325 degs (you may have to "brown" the cheese topping in the broiler), and enjoy!!! Check the Aroid news letter for more ways to enjoy "our" plants than by just growing them!! Try it as a substitute for potatoes in soups. It generally doesn`t "travel" well, though I manage to find GOOD stuff here in W. Palm Beach, Florida. If it`s texture is a bit "woody", it has been on the road for too long. Good luck!! ju-bo@msn.com

From: Addison & Richardson <bedrock.gardeners at sympatico.ca> on 1997.09.20 at 03:51:25(1276) At 08:08 AM 9/19/97 -0500, you wrote: >Julius, > >I found some bulbs bigger than a softball in a bin with some Taro roots >at the local grocery. I >peeled off a sticker that had the food name on it and promptly lost it on >the way home. > was it Jicama? Lois Anne Addison +More bedrock.gardeners@sympatico.ca Dunrobin, Ontario (35 miles west of Ottawa)\ Cdn. Z5; USDA Z4 (lowest temp -40C; highest 37C)

From: mood at poi.net (John Mood) on 1997.09.21 at 23:43:29(1285) >Julius, > >I found some bulbs bigger than a softball in a bin with some Taro roots >at the local grocery. I >peeled off a sticker that had the food name on it and promptly lost it on >the way home. +More > >The bulb/corm/tuber? was very symetrical, smooth, tan in color, sort of >more pointed on top and more flattened on the bottom. There appeared to >be circular marks like meridians around it but not really very distinct. > >I got the impression that it is a West Indian food. > >My curiosity is killing me. I think I'd recognize the name. Do you have >any suggestions? > >Ray > > > >RAY, If this is not an aroid, then possibly Pachyrhizus erosus, Yam bean, a legume tuber used throughout the tropics. It is white inside, crisp, and slightly sweet. The vine is not unlike other beans and the seed poisonous. Your local ethnobotanist, John Mood

From: "Julius Boos" <ju-bo at classic.msn.com> on 1997.09.22 at 02:25:20(1292) ---------- Sent: Sunday, September 21, 1997 7:43 PM To: ju-bo@msn.com +More Subject: Re: Grocery store aroids >Julius, > >I found some bulbs bigger than a softball in a bin with some Taro roots >at the local grocery. I >peeled off a sticker that had the food name on it and promptly lost it on >the way home. > >The bulb/corm/tuber? was very symetrical, smooth, tan in color, sort of >more pointed on top and more flattened on the bottom. There appeared to >be circular marks like meridians around it but not really very distinct. > >I got the impression that it is a West Indian food. > >My curiosity is killing me. I think I'd recognize the name. Do you have >any suggestions? > >Ray > > > >RAY, >>If this is not an aroid, then possibly Pachyrhizus erosus, Yam bean, a legume tuber used throughout the tropics. It is white inside, crisp, and slightly sweet. The vine is not unlike other beans and the seed poisonous. Your local ethnobotanist, John Mood<< Dear Ray, When you determine what the tuber is/was, and tell us how it grew/tasted, give us an I.D. please. Sincerely, Julius ju-bo@msn.com

From: grsjr at juno.com (George R Stilwell, Jr.) on 1997.09.24 at 01:06:35(1326) Julius, John Mood, Lois Addison Thanks all. Lois is the winner> It is Jicama. The new lot looks flatter and bigger in diameter than the ones I saw a couple of days ago. Also, it wasn't as smooth and symmetrical. It comes from Mexico. There's a phonetic spelling of the name 'Hee-kah-mah' on the label, but no information on what plant it is. The vendor, Frieda's of LA, offers recipes for a SSAE. According to their web page, , it is also known as a Mexican potato or a yam bean. But still no plant information. So what is it? Will it grow here (NC). What will it look like? Ray +More

From: Don Burns <burns at mobot.org> on 1997.09.24 at 01:14:57(1327) Don Burns Plantation, FL USA Zone 10b ---------- Forwarded message ---------- This message was submitted by Fausto Ceni to list aroid-l@mobot.org. If you forward it back to the list, it will be distribut= ed without the paragraphs above the dashed line. You may edit the Subject: lin= e and the text of the message before forwarding it back. If you edit the messages you receive into a digest, you will need to remove these paragraphs and the dashed line before mailing the result to the list. Finally, if you need more information from the author of this message, you should be able to do so by simply replying to this note. ----------------------- Message requiring your approval -------------------= --- +More Sender: Fausto Ceni Subject: Re: Newbie questions/germinating dracunculus seeds > > Hi everyone, > > I just received seeds for Dracunculus canariensis from Fausto, and would > like some information on culture. None of my reference books list d. > canariensis. How hardy/tender is it? What kind of soil do they prefer? > How long will it take for them to germinate? Should I sow them now? Do > they need a cold stratification? My only experience with dracunculus is > looking at photos of d. vulgare in catalogs. Thanks. D. canariensis germinates easy: sow it now, give water and don't let the pot go under 2°C. This plant is not so hardy as D. vulgaris: it is a winter grower from Canary is., mediterranean/humid climate. Fausto -- Dr. Ing. Fausto CENI - Via Marsala 8 I-25122 BRESCIA (ITALY) Tf ++39 30 3756011 - Fax ++39 30 42435 E-mail cendot@spidernet.it

From: Addison & Richardson <bedrock.gardeners at sympatico.ca> on 1997.09.24 at 15:23:30(1330) What can I say? I really felt the fool when I read the other responses. I know nothing about aroids. But I has just come back from food shopping and we love jicama and get it every week... fabulous texture and wonderful taste...great in salads, etc. So it just sounded like jicama and I brazenly sent out the message... Lois Anne Addison +More bedrock.gardeners@sympatico.ca Dunrobin, Ontario (35 miles west of Ottawa)\ Cdn. Z5; USDA Z4 (lowest temp -40C; highest 37C)

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