It is sometimes called the Polynesian potato. Aroids. In Lebanon, taro is known as kilkass and is grown mainly along the Mediterranean coast. It is also common in Ghana to find cocoyam chips (deep-fried slices, about 1 mm (1⁄32 in) thick). Family. The stem is used to cook kochur saag with fried hilsha (ilish) head or boiled chhola (chickpea), often eaten as a starter with hot rice. [citation needed] It is dasheen in Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Lucia and Jamaica.[11]:23. In Himachal Pradesh, in northern India, taro corms are known as ghandyali, and the plant is known as kachalu in the Kangra and Mandi districts. In the Spanish-speaking countries of the Spanish West Indies taro is called ñame, the Portuguese variant of which (inhame) is used in former Portuguese colonies where taro is still cultivated, including the Azores and Brazil. Global_description. The root tuber is typically planted close to the surface. First, the soil around the corm is loosened, and then, the corm is pulled up by grabbing the base of the petioles. Boiled corm of Taro is commonly served with salt, spices, and chilies. Taro leaves and stems are pickled. Brown, Deni. In Gujarat, this leaf is called arbi (or alvi) and is used to make patra. Wetland Status. The names elephant-ear and cocoyam are also used for some other large-leaved genera in the Araceae, notably Xanthosoma and Caladium. Taro is the pre-eminent crop of the Cook Islands and surpasses all other crops in terms of land area devoted to production. Taro is one of the few crops (along with rice and lotus) that can be grown under flooded conditions. Ranging from bright green to deep purple or black, the leaves are often adorned with exquisite veining or variegation. This meal is still prepared for special occasions and especially on Sunday. In Gujarat, it is called Patar Vel or Saryia Na Paan green leaves are used by making a roll, with besan(gram flour), Salt, turmeric, red chili powder all put into paste form inside leaves. Maan Kochu is made into a paste and fried to prepare a delicious food known as Kochu Bata. Colocasia esculenta is a perennial, tropical plant primarily grown as a root vegetable for its edible, starchy corm. Another dish in which taro is commonly used is the Philippine national stew, sinigang, although radish can be used if taro is not available. In Korea, taro is called toran (Korean: 토란: "earth egg"), and the corm is stewed and the leaf stem is stir-fried. In Eastern part of Uttar Pradesh, arbi, known as arabi ka patta, is used to make the dish sahina. Despite generally growing demand, production was even lower in 2005—only 4 million pounds, with kalo for processing into poi accounting for 97.5%. The leaves are large to very large, 20–150 cm (7.9–59.1 in) long, with a sagittate shape. 1999. The crop is harvested when the plant height decreases and the leaves turn yellow. It is often used as a substitute for potato. In Shimla, a pancake-style dish, called patra or patid, is made using gram flour. Taro (dalo in Fijian) has been a staple of the Fijian diet for centuries, and its cultural importance is celebrated on Taro Day. The petiole is 0.8–1.2 m (2 ft 7 in–3 ft 11 in) high. Periodic fertilisation (every 3 to 4 weeks) with a common plant fertiliser will increase yields. Dense to scattered populations reported from natural areas throughout The dasheen variety, commonly planted in swamps, is rare, although appreciated for its taste. In Lusophone countries, inhame (pronounced [ĩ ˈ ȷ̃ɐ̃mi], [ˈ ȷ̃ɐ̃mi] or [ĩˑˈɲɐ̃mi], literally "yam") and cará are the common names for various plants with edible parts of the genera Alocasia, Colocasia (family Araceae) and Dioscorea (family Dioscoreaceae), and its respective starchy edible parts, generally tubers, with the exception of Dioscorea bulbifera, called cará-moela (pronounced [kɐˈɾa muˈɛlɐ], literally, "gizzard yam"), in Brazil and never deemed to be an inhame. Ocumo without the Chinese denomination is a tuber from the same family, but without taro's inside purplish color. In Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, taro is commonly known as arrow root, ggobe, or nduma and madhumbe in some local Bantu languages. Pieces of boiled taro with coconut milk are a traditional Thai dessert. These stems may also be sun-dried and stored for later use. [29][30][31] However, more recent studies have pointed out that wild taro may have a much larger native distribution than previously believed, and wild breeding types may also likely be indigenous to other parts of Island Southeast Asia. In Cyprus, taro has been in use since the time of the Roman Empire. It is one of the healthiest vegetables that you can eat. It is usually sauteed with celery and onion with pork, chicken or lamb, in a tomato sauce – a vegetarian version is also available. This is a steamed dish similar to patrode, but with gram flour instead of the rice flour used in patrode. It is considered a hard-to-make delicacy, not only because of the tedious preparation but the consistency and flavour that the taro must reach. Family: Araceae – Arum family Genus: Colocasia Schott – colocasia Species: Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott – coco yam It is usually boiled and eaten with tea or other beverages, or as the main starch of a meal. Dasheen (also called "eddo") is another dryland variety of C. esculenta grown for its edible corms or as an ornamental plant. The measured contact angle on this leaf in this study is around 148°.[84]. The leaves are also fried in a split pea batter to make "saheena". In Venezuela, taro is called ocumo chino or chino and used in soups and sancochos. [20][21] Colocasia is thought to have originated in the Indomalayan realm, perhaps in East India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Roots are large, underground tuberous rhizome. [citation needed] In India, it is called arvī (अरबी) in Hindi, kesave (ಕೇಸವೆ) in Kannada, alu (आळू) in Marathi, chempu (சேம்பு) in Tamil, chama (చామ) in Telugu, yendem (ꯌꯦꯟꯗꯦꯝ) in Meitei, venti (वेंटी) in Konkani, chēmbŭ (ചേമ്പ്) in Malayalam, and banakochu (বুনোকচু) in Bangla. The corms, which have a light purple color due to phenolic pigments,[48] are roasted, baked or boiled. Soups contain large chunks of several kinds of tubers, including ocumo chino, especially in the eastern part of the country, where West Indian influence is present. Colocasia is a tender perennial that cannot survive winter months in many places. The plant has rhizomes of different shapes and sizes. The local crop plays an important role in Hawaiian culture, mythology, and cuisine. <, Domesticated plants and animals of Austronesia, "Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott - Names of Plants in India", "Jimbi in English, translation, Swahili-English Dictionary", "Malanga - Spanish to English Translation | Spanish Central", "Malanga | Definición de Malanga por Oxford Dicitionaries en Lexico.com también significado de Malanga", "Elephant Ears (Colocasia, Alocasia, and Xanthosoma)", "The Nomenclature of the Taro and its Varieties", "Invasive Plants to Watch for in Georgia", new-agri.co Country profile: Samoa, New Agriculturist Online, "Genetic Diversification and Dispersal of Taro (, "Foraging-farming transitions at the Niah Caves, Sarawak, Borneo", "A Brief Note on the 2007 Excavation at Ille Cave, Palawan, the Philippines", "Direct evidence for human use of plants 28,000 years ago: starch residues on stone artefacts from the northern Solomon Islands", "Transitions to Farming in Island Southeast Asia: Archaeological, Biomolecular and Palaeoecological Perspectives", "Ancient Chamorro Agricultural Practices", "FAO: Taro cultivation in Asia and the Pacific, 1999", "Taro Cultivation in Asia and the Pacific", http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/botany/taro/key/HawaiianKalo/Media/Html/history.html, "Real Estate Guide Plano – Hottest Deals On Market", "How to Make Coconut and Taro Ice Cream – A Thai Classic Dessert", "Humayunpur: A Mini North-Eastern Food Hub In Safdarjung", "Bengali style kochur loti dish, Taro stolon curry", "The Dasheen: A Root Crop for the Southern States. 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