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Taro (ingredient)

Vegetables · Root vegetables

Taro

Hairy brown corm with speckled white or lilac flesh that turns creamy when cooked; must not be eaten raw.

Also called: arbi, dasheen, eddo, gabi, old cocoyam

5 recipes with it

Photo: စာကလေး, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0-1.0)

What it is

Taro corms have rough, ringed, brown skin and white flesh often flecked with purple. Small eddoes (arbi) are used in Indian cooking; larger dasheen corms in the Caribbean and Pacific. Cooked taro is creamy, slightly slippery and nutty. Malanga (yautia) looks similar but is a different plant.

Colocasia esculenta

How it’s used

  • Spiced and fried (arbi fry)
  • Simmered in stews and soups
  • Steamed and mashed into poi
  • Sweet taro desserts and bubble-tea paste
  • Fried as chips or in cakes

Characteristics

Taste
Nutty, earthy and slightly sweet.
Texture
Creamy and a little sticky when cooked.
When cooked
Becomes slimy when cut and wet; its sap can irritate skin, so oil hands or wear gloves when peeling.
Sold as
fresh, frozen
Cooking uses
Commonly cooked, Suitable for boiling, Suitable for frying

Storage

Cool, dry and dark. Keep in a cool, dry, airy place and use within a week or so; do not refrigerate whole corms for long.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Contains calcium oxalate crystals that irritate the mouth; always cook thoroughly.
  • Raw sap can itch on skin; wear gloves when peeling.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
112 kcal
Protein
1.5 g
Carbohydrate
26.46 g
Fat
0.2 g
Fibre
4.1 g
Sugars
0.4 g

USDA FoodData Central: Taro, raw.

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

Related ingredients

Recipes with taro

More root vegetables