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Reply-To : Discussion of aroids
Sent : Sunday, March 25, 2007 3:52 AM
To :
Subject : [Aroid-l] Colocasia gigantea
Hello Friends,
I am very interested in reading this, and it should serve to warn us not to
experiment TOO deeply with raw aroids.
Local names can also be misleading, years ago I too got a plant of what the
Vietnamese lady told me was 'Bak ha', but I am fairly certain it was species
of Alocasia, not Colocasia. I think I see it sold around here to the
landscaping/horticultural trade as 'Chinese taro'.
I`d like to get a TRUE plant of the var. of Colocasia gigantia in which the
petioles can be eaten raw, but am afraid of the same result
("FIRE-tongue/throat") that David`s friend experienced, so will wait till I
can meet someone who has and will try it WITH me!
The Best,
Julius.
Hello all, I've been on this list for some time but usually just lurk and
absorb the knowledge of the wise contributors. I've noticed that
discussions about Colocasia gigantea crop up from time to time. I've
grown it for a long time and remember being told it was edible by the
Vietnamese lady that I got it from. I found an excerpt from a book that
discusses it's edibility that might be interesting to the more adventurous
of you:
-------
"There are many kinds of taro, and one member of the Colocasia family,
Colocasia gigantea, produces no tuber, neither is the leaf eaten, but the
leaf stalks are sliced and used in Cambodian and Vietnamese soups, lightly
cooked and still crisp. Their porous structure enables them to hold the
flavoursome stock much as a sponge holds water. They have also been
discovered by adventurous chefs of other persuasions and are served sliced
in salads and other dishes where the delicate flavour and crisp texture find
favour. These petioles (leaf stalks) may even be eaten raw, but first make
sure they are the right kind - the Japanese call it zuiki; Cambodians and
Vietnamese, bac ha. Ask for an English translation and they will tell you
'taro', but it is best to buy it from a shop and not to go foraging yourself
unless you are knowledgeable about such matters."
OtherLanguages:
Cambodia: bac ha (leaf petioles)
China: woo tau, yu
Fiji: rou rou
Hawaii: luau
India: arvi, patra
Indonesia: talas
Japan: sato-imo (yam), zuiki (leaf petioles)
Malaysia: keladi
Philippines: gabi
Sri Lanka: kiri ala
Tahiti: fafa
Thailand: phueak
Vietnam: khoai mon
From Encyclopedia of Asian Food by Charmaine Solomon (Australia)
-----------
From personal experience, a Chinese friend of mine tried munching on a
small
piece of an uncooked leaf of C. gigantea and immediately had a reaction from
the calcium oxalate crystals setting her tongue on fire! I never could
convince here to cook the stalks only and try them after that little
incident. One of the best things about this beautiful plant besides being
ornamental and edible is that is usually fully hardy here in the Tennessee
mountains.
David Sizemore
Kingsport, TN
Zone 6b/7a
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