Grocery Store Aroids

From: Lester Kallus <lkallus at earthlink.net> on 1997.12.11 at 17:23:43(1731) Julius, Thanks for the insight. At least I'll be able to grow the Xanthasomas. I'm disappointed about the Columbian yam not being a Colocasia. The tuber looked like what I'd expect a large Colocasia tuber to be. If it grows as a vine (you said that it does), I guess I can sprout one to double check. You said that the mapuey and Columbian yam were both Dioscoreas but that the Dioscorea trifida was smaller. In fact, the mapuey was about 1/4th the size of the Columbian yam or smaller. Perhaps that ID was correct. Can you list some potential names for Colocasia tubers - names that would be used in a hispanic market catering predominantly to Puerto Ricans and Dominicans? There's not much of a Mexican, Cuban or Central American community here on Long island. I still hope to find a cheap source for large Colocasia esculenta tubers before next spring. Perhaps its time for one of our web pages to have a table with common grocery store name in one column and scientific name in the next column. I'd volunteer except that so far, I would be able to supply only 4 rows to this table and that was only with your help. Les +More >How lucky you are!! You have found a few interesting( and delicious!) Aroids >and a few VERY delicious non-aroids!! I believe that "mapuey", IF in fact it >is D. trifida, is the same as what Jamaicans call "yampey" and we Trinidadians >call "cuch-cush". It is without a doubt the smallest and THE finest tasting >(and the most costly ) of the Dioscoreas, and as far as I know the ONLY edible > >Dioscoria native to the New World. It may require a longer growing season >than you can provide, and grows as a substantial vine, with leaves reminiscent >of a bat-man logo! You can cook it like potato, and mash it with butter, use >it in soups, or make a shepard`s pie with it. Enjoy! > >>Columbian Yam looked very much like tubers of Colocasia esculenta. At >>$1.29 a pound it seems far more reasonable than the general cost in >>nurseries. Is Columbian Yam a Colocasia?<< > >I do not believe so, it prob. is a species of Dioscorea, called "white" or >"St. Vincent " yam in Trinidad. Coarser texture than Mapuey, but also good. > >>Yautia looked like (and probably is) a Xanthosoma. Can anyone identify >>Xanthosoma fla (presumably florida) and Xanthosoma lily?<< > >I believe that the "Xanthosoma fla" will probably be X. sagittifolia, and the >"Xanthosoma lily" (actually they are trying to say the spanish for "lilac", >it`s color) will be X. violacium. > >Sincerely, >Julius >ju-bo@msn.com

From: Krzysztof Kozminski <kk at netgate.net> on 1997.12.11 at 18:09:29(1732) On Thu, 11 Dec 1997, Lester Kallus wrote: > Perhaps its time for one of our web pages to have a table with common > grocery store name in one column and scientific name in the next column. After acquiring something called 'malanga' aka X.saggitifolia (but after it grew, the coloring and general appearance seem to be somwhere X.violaceum and X.saggitifolia), I did some web searches and here's the list of relevant entries: http://www.ars-grin.gov/~ngrlsb/dictionary/tico/ +More http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1990/v1-424.html#Edible Aroids http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/Indices/index_ab http://www.uwcm.ac.uk/uwcm/dm/BoDD/BotDermFolder/BotDermA/ARAC.html http://www.fao.org/waicent/FAOINFO/Economic/faodef/fdef02e.htm http://www.mgardens.org/OLG-200T-LIST.html >From the above, you can learn, e.g., that Tahitian Spinach is an aroid .. ==================== Krzysztof Kozminski kk@netgate.net http://www.netgate.net/~kk/

From: Brian Cook <bcook at interlog.com> on 1997.12.11 at 18:18:42(1733) Lester Kallus wrote: > Can you list some potential names for Colocasia tubers? Taro, Dasheen, Eddo or Elephant Ear. I have had this growing with great success this summer in my natural pond, I also have two in the house at the moment that are doing fine. These were purchaced at the grocery store for about $0.50. Not too bad! Any idea when I might expect some flowers? -- Brian Cook Mailto:bcook@interlog.com +More Toronto/Port Perry Ontario Canada

From: "Julius Boos" <ju-bo at classic.msn.com> on 1997.12.11 at 21:27:49(1734) ---------- Sent: Thursday, December 11, 1997 12:23 PM To: ju-bo@msn.com +More Subject: Re: Grocery Store Aroids >>Julius, >>Thanks for the insight. At least I'll be able to grow the Xanthasomas. I'm disappointed about the Columbian yam not being a Colocasia. The tuber looked like what I'd expect a large Colocasia tuber to be. If it grows as a vine (you said that it does), I guess I can sprout one to double check.<< Dear Les, The way do grow this AND enjoy it as a meal is to cut off the growing point, leaving about 3 inches of the "flesh". Leave this top portion to dry out a bit on a shelf for about a week, the plant it in loose, well drained soil, thats all there is to it ! The rest of the Yam you peel, boil in salted water for +-20 mins, mash with butter, and eat, or use in soup as a sub. for potato. >>You said that the mapuey and Columbian yam were both Dioscoreas but that the Dioscorea trifida was smaller. In fact, the mapuey was about 1/4th the size of the Columbian yam or smaller. Perhaps that ID was correct.<< It is correct. Treat the "mapuey" as in the above, and enjoy. Note the difference in the leaves when they grow, but the simularities in their respective "winged" stems. >>Can you list some potential names for Colocasia tubers - names that would be used in a hispanic market catering predominantly to Puerto Ricans and Dominicans? There's not much of a Mexican, Cuban or Central American community here on Long island. I still hope to find a cheap source for large Colocasia esculenta tubers before next spring.<< Try asking for "malanga islenia" or "malanga cabeza", also try using "yautia" in place of "malanga", as the Cubans use "malanga" while the P/Ricans and Dominicans (Rep. Dominicana) refer to it as "yautia". Look out for SMALL tubers being sold as "taro root", these will be C.esculenta "antiquorum" also known as "eddoes", they grow drier than most large taro or "dasheen", another W. Indian name for the larger Colocasia esculentas. Look for a Jamaican Grocery, they will know and maybe have or will order "dasheen" for you. You can also try an Indian/Pakistani grocery, where if you request "Arvi" you will get C. E. Antiquorum, or eddoes. >>Perhaps its time for one of our web pages to have a table with common grocery store name in one column and scientific name in the next column. I'd volunteer except that so far, I would be able to supply only 4 rows to this table and that was only with your help.< Good idea. What do you all think, folks and lurkers out in cyberspace??? Les- do you want me to send you a dasheen by snailmail when I see one at my local grocery ? What about eddoes ? Let me know. Cheers to all, Julius ju-bo@msn.com Les >How lucky you are!! You have found a few interesting( and delicious!) Aroids >and a few VERY delicious non-aroids!! I believe that "mapuey", IF in fact it >is D. trifida, is the same as what Jamaicans call "yampey" and we Trinidadians >call "cuch-cush". It is without a doubt the smallest and THE finest tasting >(and the most costly ) of the Dioscoreas, and as far as I know the ONLY edible > >Dioscoria native to the New World. It may require a longer growing season >than you can provide, and grows as a substantial vine, with leaves reminiscent >of a bat-man logo! You can cook it like potato, and mash it with butter, use >it in soups, or make a shepard`s pie with it. Enjoy! > >>Columbian Yam looked very much like tubers of Colocasia esculenta. At >>$1.29 a pound it seems far more reasonable than the general cost in >>nurseries. Is Columbian Yam a Colocasia?<< > >I do not believe so, it prob. is a species of Dioscorea, called "white" or >"St. Vincent " yam in Trinidad. Coarser texture than Mapuey, but also good. > >>Yautia looked like (and probably is) a Xanthosoma. Can anyone identify >>Xanthosoma fla (presumably florida) and Xanthosoma lily?<< > >I believe that the "Xanthosoma fla" will probably be X. sagittifolia, and the >"Xanthosoma lily" (actually they are trying to say the spanish for "lilac", >it`s color) will be X. violacium. > >Sincerely, >Julius >ju-bo@msn.com

From: grsjr at juno.com (George R Stilwell, Jr.) on 1997.12.11 at 21:34:07(1735) Krzysztof, I looked through the list of web sites you gave. It takes a while. While full of +More information, I didn't find a concise table of Aroid names coupled to food names such as Les suggested. They're way too wordy and too full of irrelevant information. I conclude that Les' suggestion stands. We need a simple correlation list. Julius, you seem to be the most knowledgable. How about starting a list on the IAS web site. Others can add to it as time goes by. Ray

From: Krzysztof Kozminski <kk at netgate.net> on 1997.12.11 at 23:03:58(1736) On Thu, 11 Dec 1997, George R Stilwell, Jr. wrote: > Krzysztof, > > I looked through the list of web sites you gave. It takes a while. While > full of +More > information, I didn't find a concise table of Aroid names coupled to > food names such as Les suggested. They're way too wordy and too full of > irrelevant information. > > I conclude that Les' suggestion stands. We need a simple correlation > list. Agreed - the list of URLs was supposed to be just a place with the source material, not a ready solution. My apologies if I was unclear. ==================== Krzysztof Kozminski kk@netgate.net http://www.netgate.net/~kk/

From: "Julius Boos" <ju-bo at classic.msn.com> on 1997.12.12 at 00:32:38(1737) ---------- Sent: Thursday, December 11, 1997 1:09 PM To: ju-bo@msn.com +More Subject: Re: Grocery Store Aroids On Thu, 11 Dec 1997, Lester Kallus wrote: > Perhaps its time for one of our web pages to have a table with common > grocery store name in one column and scientific name in the next column. >>After acquiring something called 'malanga' aka X.saggitifolia (but after it grew, the coloring and general appearance seem to be somwhere X.violaceum and X.saggitifolia), I did some web searches and here's the list of relevant entries: http://www.ars-grin.gov/~ngrlsb/dictionary/tico/ http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1990/v1-424.html#Edible Aroids http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/Indices/index_ab http://www.uwcm.ac.uk/uwcm/dm/BoDD/BotDermFolder/BotDermA/ARAC.html http://www.fao.org/waicent/FAOINFO/Economic/faodef/fdef02e.htm http://www.mgardens.org/OLG-200T-LIST.html<< Dear Krzysztof, What happened to you is common, as the words "malanga"(generally Cuban ) and "yautia" ( generally Puerto Rican or Dominican Republic ) are the generic names for ALL edible Xanthosoma/Colocasia species in the Spanish Caribbean, and these words are then qualified by the "variety" of tuber you are buying, such as "malanga /yautia blanca" (which WILL turn out to be X. sagittifolia ) or "malanga/yautia lilac" (which will be "red coco" in Jamaican groceries and may be X. violacium ), or "malanga/yautia amarilla" which, according to Bown`s book is X. atrovirens, or "malanga cabeza" which will be Colocasia esculenta esculenta ! This is understandable, if one remembers that "malanga/yautia" is like saying "potato", but, do you need an IDAHO potato, or a RED potato, or a BROWN potato, etc., etc. I had this "conversation" with my friend Don just recently, and he was confused at first. And remember, there are others out there that I do not know the Spanish names for as yet, such as Colocasia esculenta antiquorum, which is called "eddoes" in the English-speaking West Indian groceries but "arvi" in Indian/Pakistani groceries, and is being sold as "taro root" at Winn Dixie near my home ! Good luck. Julius ju-bo@msn.com >From the above, you can learn, e.g., that Tahitian Spinach is an aroid .. ==================== Krzysztof Kozminski kk@netgate.net http://www.netgate.net/~kk/

From: Lester Kallus <lkallus at earthlink.net> on 1997.12.12 at 14:43:17(1738) Julius, Thanks for all the tips. Actually, I'm going to start putting this list together now that you've given me all these names. As for shipping them to LI, thanks, but I don't think it'll be much of a problem. I should be able to find these tubers by looking in a few different local stores (now that I know what to look for). It's especially interesting to think that I can get antiquorum illustris tubers. Those plants weren't especially expensive, but at $1.95 a pound, I can afford enough to have an entire bed of them. +More Kris, Thanks for the references. I think we can do better, though. I envision a 3 column list now with nationality, food name and scientific name as the 3 columns. It could be published in three different pages, each page sorted by a different column. So with this in mind, I'll try to get to this list on Sunday when I have a day off with no immediate responsibilities looming overhead. Once the list is up, I'll ask folks to look in and make some recommendations for updating. Les

From: grsjr at juno.com (George R Stilwell, Jr.) on 1997.12.12 at 18:05:52(1740) Sounds great, Les. Ray +More

From: SNALICE <SNALICE at AOL.COM> on 1997.12.13 at 04:22:04(1741) Dear all, I ran across these pages and thought that some of you might be interested in them since the subject of food plants is up. These are database search engines for finding the use of plants for medicine and food including plants in the Araceae family. Native American Herbal, Plant Knowledge is the home base of the pages I mention in case you would like to check out ALL of the databases of which there are 6. Slide down to RESEARCH TOOLS. FoodPlantDB: classes ; +More PhytochemDB: classes and possibably the greatest interest, EthnobotDB: classes. This may be limited to North America, but not limited to North American Indians. I'm sure some of you can do a more educated search than I can since you are more familiar with the common names which the data bases seem to like better than the scientific names, but some of the plants I managed to find in one of the searches were these: Genus Acorus Arisaema Calla Colocasia Orontium Peltandra Spathyema I hope everyone enjoys this, Sue Zunino

From: "Julius Boos" <ju-bo at classic.msn.com> on 1997.12.14 at 02:02:43(1742) ---------- Sent: Thursday, December 11, 1997 4:34 PM To: ju-bo@msn.com +More Subject: Re: Grocery Store Aroids >>Krzysztof, I looked through the list of web sites you gave. It takes a while. While full of information, I didn't find a concise table of Aroid names coupled to food names such as Les suggested. They're way too wordy and too full of irrelevant information. I conclude that Les' suggestion stands. We need a simple correlation list.<< >>Julius, you seem to be the most knowledgable. How about starting a list on the IAS web site. Others can add to it as time goes by. Ray << Dear Ray, I think the idea is a great one, and would be more than glad to begin such a page. Just let me know where to send the info., and who will be putting it together, and I will gladly put together a list of the local names that I am presently aware of for the various species of edible aroids being sold in the U.S., and ask around for other less common local names that may not be as common. You are aware that I have a list of recepies for all or most of these Aroids, some of which I prepared and were presented at a talk I gave to the Aroid Soc. in Miami last year, and can easily post or send it to who ever requests it ? They are also being published one at a time on our newsletter. Cheers, Julius ju-bo@msn.com

From: grsjr at juno.com (George R Stilwell, Jr.) on 1997.12.14 at 17:05:43(1745) Julius, Les Kallus has volunteered to put together the list of food names correlated with Aroid names. It would be great if you took a shot at it and passed the information on to Les so he can get it all together. If it's going on the IAS site, Guanghua Zhu is the keeper of the gates for it. Les needs to work with him to get it formed properly and integrated into the page. +More Ray --------------------------- Dear Ray, I think the idea is a great one, and would be more than glad to begin such a page. Just let me know where to send the info., and who will be putting it together, and I will gladly put together a list of the local names that I am presently aware of for the various species of edible aroids being sold in the U.S., and ask around for other less common local names that may not be as common. You are aware that I have a list of recepies for all or most of these Aroids, some of which I prepared and were presented at a talk I gave to the Aroid Soc. in Miami last year, and can easily post or send it to who ever requests it ? They are also being published one at a time on our newsletter. Cheers, Julius ju-bo@msn.com -------------------------

From: "Julius Boos" <ju-bo at classic.msn.com> on 1997.12.15 at 03:19:59(1754) ---------- Sent: Sunday, December 14, 1997 12:05 PM To: ju-bo@msn.com +More Subject: Re: Grocery Store Aroids >>Julius, Les Kallus has volunteered to put together the list of food names correlated with Aroid names. It would be great if you took a shot at it and passed the information on to Les so he can get it all together. If it's going on the IAS site, Guanghua Zhu is the keeper of the gates for it. Les needs to work with him to get it formed properly and integrated into the page. Ray --------------------------- Dear Ray, I have heard from Les and he said that he had created the page, and gave me the URL, but I could not pull it up. It was---->http://www.i2-i-2000.com/~lkallus/plnthome.htm< MEANWHILE i had written to Guanghua and sent a page on "Grocery Store Aroids", and I will send you a copy as soon as I finish this, and will ask you to please forward it to Les as I can not put my hand on his e-mail address at the moment. I`m not sure if he has this info as yet, and maybe he should check with Guanghua at MOBOT so that we do not have duplication. Cheers, Julius ju-bo@msn.com

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