Taro taro taro

[Suzanne F]

I just bought a nice large taro, with the original intention of making shoestring fries with part, and a puree with the rest. Now I'm not so sure I want to fry. Anyone have suggestions for either a simple use, or a different way to use steamed taro? TIA

[swissmiss]

I have a few Caribbean soup/stew recipes made with taro, but they often require a lot of ingredients. Let me know if you are interested and I can email you Word docs.

[Suzanne F]

Actually, what I think I may do is peel, cube, and steam the whole piece, since I have a feeling it will keep better cooked than raw. Then maybe I'll do some taro/potato/methi mash, and some taro home-fries (not quite as bad as shoestrings in the fat department). But thanks for your offer.

[wingding]

Poi!!!When I was way young[er],Iremember reading' Dennis the Menace Goes toHawaii',and noticing his poi experience,which I became obsessed with.My family went to the '64 Worlds Fair,and lo and behold,in the Hawaii pavillion,there was canned poi for sale...I begged,and we bought it.It was horrid...On the real side,those taro cakes served with dim sum can be kinda good-they are browned,and have little bits of pork speckled in..

[KarenS]

Be very careful with taro. Wear gloves when you peel it and NEVER EAT IT RAW!!! It must be very cooked (even undercooked chips will be remembered). There are fiberglass like crystals in raw taro that will leave you gagging or choking. If you peel it without gloves on , you will have extreme itching/ feeling of ground glass etc..

Taro is good in stew (chicken, fish, etc) Taro cakes are good (make sure that they are well cooked. "Haole" poi is the easiest thing to start with as a poi beginner. This is steamed and then pounded. "haoles" eat it with milk and sugar (like cereal). Hawaiians stir little bits of whatever they are eating into their poi. People have preferences for fresh, day old , or two day old. Do not refigerate poi (it will become firm again).

I love taro chips with guacamole. Taro- fish cakes are good too.

[Sweet Willie]

Be very careful with taro. Wear gloves when you peel it and NEVER EAT IT RAW!!! It must be very cooked (even undercooked chips will be remembered). There are fiberglass like crystals in raw taro that will leave you gagging or choking. If you peel it without gloves on , you will have extreme itching/ feeling of ground glass etc...

Whoa! did not know that.

In Hawaii I love taro burgers, seemed to be mashed taro w/seasonings, served on a bun w/lettuce, tomato, mayo. Great stuff.

Sorry I don't have a recipe though.

[FoodZealot]

My grandma used to make a corned beef hash with taro. Then formed it into patties then panfried for crispy bits on the outside. Sorta homey, but you could dress it up nicely, if needed. Another option is to make a deep fried basket out of shreds to be the vehicle for a stirfry or what have you. I love that subtle sweetness, so I think it could work in a hearty stew in place of a potato.

As KarenS warns, be sure to precook or cook thoroughly.

~Tad

[Wolfert]

You're right about the unpleasant quality in undercooking taro. There is another reason as well: it easily turns slimy. There is a method for slicing taro that prevents this unpleasant texture: scrub the taro roots under running water, dry well, then peel. Next cut them into 1/4-inch thick chunks, but just before you finish cutting, turn the knife so that the piece "chips," or snaps off. (You can substitute frozen taro root then simply use it frozen --it's been "chipped" for you.)

In the Mediterranean on the island of Cyprus they saute it in olive oil with onions, lemon juice, grated tomatoes and enough water to cover until the taro is soft enough to break in half when pierced with a fork, about 3/4 hour.

it is used as a bed for swiss chard stuffed with meat and rice. It is actually quite delicious.

[aprilmei]

SuzanneF, it actually keeps very well raw. You can even cut off slices and then keep the raw pieces at room temperature (at least that's how the Chinese markets sell it). If it's cooked too long ahead of time it can ferment (poi, anyone?).

it's great as a hearty Chinese dessert, cut in cubes, simmered until tender then served with hot, slightly sweetened coconut milk. there should be more liquid than taro.

[Wolfert]

a bit of trivia on taro:

Before the 16th century, when the potato was introduced to the mediterranean from the new world, the taro was as prevalent in cooking as the potato is today. Taro is still eaten widely in Egypt in a dish called oulaas, as well as along the Turkish Mediterranean coast in lamb stews. You can buy the taro frozen,imported from Egypt, at middle eastern stores. just ask the grocer for kolokassi.

[Suzanne F]

How does frozen taro compare to fresh for grating or turning into shoestrings? Is it faster/easier to cook when one wants to mash it? Are there preparations for which frozen is better than fresh? I'm just wondering, because I'm very close to Chinatown and it's easy for me to get it fresh.

[Wolfert]

Suzanne: I only used the frozen ones once to re-test a Cypriot recipe for my last book. I sauteed the defrozed chunks in oil for a few minutes then added some tomatoes and csimmeredthem until completely tender. They worked fine as a bed for lamb and rice stuffed swiss chard rolls. I wish I could be of more help.

Edited September 10, 2003 by Wolfert (log)

[wesza]

Taro, is very popular in Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as many Chinese Restaurants in Seattle, when used in Autumn, Clay Pot Cooking dishes. It stays firm, often browned on the bottom and picks up all the flavors from the pot. Irwin

[torakris]

How does frozen taro compare to fresh for grating or turning into shoestrings?  Is it faster/easier to cook when one wants to mash it?  Are there preparations for which frozen is better than fresh?  I'm just wondering, because I'm very close to Chinatown and it's easy for me to get it fresh.

I use the Japanese tiny round taro and usually I buy them frozen because I don't always have the time to deal with the fresh ones. Taste wise they aren't as good as the real thing (what frozen product is? ) but they are good enough that I continue to use them. They do have a tendency to be mushier though, especially if over cooked. I don't know about grating though because the Japanese ones are too small to even think about grating them.

[nakji]

I got some taro in my CSA this week and I don't know what to do with it. I don't like sweet or slimy applications - dessert is out. I'm thinking either as chips or a curry - something with a lot of spice to drown out the blah-ness of it. Any suggestions?

[djyee100]

I don't know what to say about a vegetable that I like only when it's seriously fried, either in those dim sum cakes or thinly sliced as chips. On her website Kasma gives a simple recipe for fritters that sound good. Next to last paragraph:

http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/features/taro.html

[nakji]

I feel incredibly lukewarm about taro too. Frying is probably the only way I'll enjoy them, so taro fritters may have to be where I go with these.