Taro Root

uli, May 23, 5:34am
If you have the right varieties then no need to soak. I grow 3 different EDIBLE varieties here and don't soak anything ever.

However do not use them for stuff like roesti where they might not be fully cooked through. That is when the Calcium oxalate will bite you in the tongue - and it is painful.

Best way to use taro is in soups and stews where it is fully cooked AND will takse up the taste of the stew.

By itself it tastes like wall paper glue - and I would challenge comadi to a taste test between taro and an Agria potato anytime.

Best of both worlds - while taro will stave of hunger - the better version is to feed the taro to the kune pigs, then eat the pigs. If you slowly cook them - let it not stop you from adding a few chunks of taro to sop up the lovely juices!
marcs, May 23, 7:20am
You have to have the right variety to eat. Not all of them are edible. Been eating it all my life. Also Pacific Islanders live on this so not sure where the kidney stone issue comes from. They also don't have a constant supply of dairy to consume. Sometimes internet does not provide the right information - just blown out of proportion information. You just have to make sure it is cooked and not eaten raw and it is the right variety.
allurs, May 23, 10:37pm
uli a question for you please. What type is the most common to grow and where could I purchase a plant? Have been wanting to grow it but unable to find a plant to buy. Thanks
uli, May 23, 11:19pm
Have not seen any in garden centers and the one you can buy in the shops come from Fiji, so they won't grow well in NZ (and might have been treated not to grow anyway).

Bear in mind that "taro" is a common name which includes many different plant families for example the many Xanthosoma (50 species) - the largest is white malanga or malanga blanca (Xanthosoma sagittifolium).
The common edible taro in Pacific and Asian countries are cultivars of Colocasia esculenta and that is what most people here grow.

Bear in mind that they do not like frost and will really only grow well in Northland, Auckland and some sheltered areas near Tauranga and maybe Golden Bay. If you can grow bananas then you can grow taro.
allurs, May 23, 11:39pm
Thanks so much for that. May be tricky for me to grow but now I know what to look out for.
comadi, May 27, 7:34am
Well blow me down I tried this tonight, just steamed, and yum :-)

Then I read bits and pieces after about soaking it over night because it is toxic !
Get outa here :-p

Anyone use Taro much; and what are your best simple recipes ?
But honestly give me a steamed Taro over a potato any day.
zsazsa777, May 28, 12:29pm
We cook ours in coconut milk.
marree, May 28, 1:37pm
Sounds yummy!
comadi, May 29, 9:34am
Hmmm sounds interesting :-)
marcs, May 29, 12:05pm
Taro obviously commonly eaten in the Pacific Islands. No you don't need to soak it. You can boil in salted water and use like potato. I also like them shallow fried the day after. You can also cook them in coconut milk. Asians make puddings out of it. It is a versatile potato with slow release carb so that it does not affect your sugar levels too much. You can use tapioca/cassava the same as well but it is high in starch.
comadi, May 30, 8:47am
Thanks marcs, I love starch :-)
lythande1, May 30, 8:37pm
Taro contains oxalic acid which forms raphides. It is reduced to safe levels by steeping cubed taro roots in cold water overnight and disposing of the water. Calcium oxalate is highly insoluble and contributes to kidney stones. It has been recommended to consume calcium-rich foods like milk together with taro.

From Wiki
comadi, Sep 17, 6:04pm
Ok, so the soaking was right; better to be safe than sorry.
Cheers