About Taro

Taro is a potato-like vegetable that is used in braises (usually with pork, duck or chicken), in the savory taro cake (芋頭糕) that is popular during Chinese New Year, and in the dim sum favorite known as taro puffs or taro dumpling (芋頭角). All of these preparations use the thick underground stem known as the corm. The outer layer of taro corms are medium to dark brown, sometimes hairy, and often have a slight sheen. This layer of skin should be removed using a vegetable peeler or a knife. Some people may need to wear gloves to avoid allergic reactions. The interior of the corm is white to light gray with specks or streaks of lavender.

Taro leaves are edible and have a flavor similar to spinach or beet greens. Because the greens have a very high calcium oxalate content (some sources say three times the content of spinach) precautions such as overnight soaking or double-cooking are recommended (see references below).

References:

• GP Savage, M Dubois: The effect of soaking and cooking on the oxalate content of taro leaves. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2006 Aug-Sep;57(5-6):376-81.
• Leslie A. Sunell, Patrick L. Healey: Distribution of Calcium Oxalate Crystal Idioblasts in Leaves of Taro (Colocasia esculenta). American Journal of Botany Vol. 72, No. 12 (Dec., 1985), pp. 1854-1860.
• Can you tell me what oxalates are and in which foods they can be found? Retrieved on 14 April 2015.

Buying taro at the Alemany Farmers Market in San Francisco.

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Braised Pork Belly with Taro Ong Choy (Water Morning Glory)