Taro, taro, taro. The unsung vegetable you have probably heard of but never bothered to cook with. I’m certainly not going to serenade it, but I do hope that I can convince you to at least give it a simmer. Hairy, scaly and brown, it is the kind of vegetable you will never see on a decorative platter in an interior design editorial. If it had even a hint of a tail, you would probably be chasing it out of your kitchen with a broomstick.
Although not exceptional by any means, taro does have something going for it. Sweeter-tasting and richer in fibre and micronutrients than a white potato, these little balls of starch make the perfect vehicle for whatever flavours you choose to throw at them. Cooked properly, their flesh becomes soft and custard-like. In this recipe, a dish characteristic of Japanese home cooking, taro is simmered in a delicious broth, becoming little pillows that, when popped into the mouth, dissolve in a cloud of umami.
Taro root is the corm (the underground base of the stem) of Colocasia esculenta, a plant native to India and Southeast Asia. It is one of the oldest crops, with archaeological evidence of cultivation dating back to at least 28,000 years ago. Taro cultivation quickly spread through human migration, east to the Pacific Islands and west across Asia, to Africa and into the Mediterranean. Today, Taro is cultivated across the globe as a food crop in tropical and temperate regions. Both the corms and the leaves are edible, although they are toxic in their raw, unprocessed form.
Taro is a very genetically diverse plant, and there are many varieties of corms found in different parts of the world. At Asian markets in Victoria, there are two available options: large taro root, as seen here, common in Chinese and Southeast Asian cooking, with pale nutty flesh tinted with purple filaments, and the ones shown here, smaller, sweeter and cream-coloured on the inside.
Much like mountain yams, such as yamaimo and nagaimo, which I discussed here, raw taro root flesh contains calcium oxalates that can irritate the skin and mouth. Unlike nagaimo, which can safely be eaten raw, taro should always be cooked before eating to remove the oxalates.
Preparing Taro Root
Although not as slimy as mountain yams, the flesh of raw taro roots is quite slippery under its hairy, scaly skin. Care should be taken when peeling and handling the raw corms. Parboiling the corms is an effective way to remove any sliminess before using them in a recipe. Because the skin is so thick, I recommend using a knife instead of a vegetable peeler, and if you have sensitive skin, you might want to wear gloves or use a towel to handle the taro while they are raw. However, if you do find yourself with itchy skin, washing them with a bit of vinegar should relieve the irritation. Lastly, to prevent the corms from sticking together, you can rub them with a pinch of salt before cooking.
Joëlle
Serves 3-4
Simmered in a delicious broth of Japanese flavours, these little balls of starch become custard-like--delicate pillows that, when popped into the mouth, dissolve in a cloud of umami.
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Ingredients
- 8-10 small taro
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1.5 cups dashi
- 2 tbsp sake
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1.5 tbsp mirin
Instructions
- Using a knife, peel the taro. Be careful as raw taro flesh is very slippery.
- Sprinkle the peeled roots with salt and rub the salt around with your hands.
- Rinse the salt away with cold water and place the taro in a pot.
- Add enough water to the pot to cover the taro and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the taro begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Drain the water and add oil to the pot. Gently move the taro around to coat them in oil.
- Add dashi and sake and bring back to a boil.
- Lower to a simmer, add the soy sauce and cook, pot partially covered, until the taro are soft all the way through, but not falling apart. Keep an eye on the level of liquid in the pot, as you don't want the taro to dry out.
- When the taro are fully cooked, add mirin and spread it around by gently shaking the pot.
- Serve with thin slices of lemon peel. いただきます！
References
Chaïr H, et al. (2016) Genetic Diversification and Dispersal of Taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott). PLoS ONE 11(6): e0157712. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0157712
Guidance and Inspiration
Just One Cookbook — Simmered Taro
❤ Thank you Nami!
