When travelling or even wandering around the local supermarket veg section it's easy to come across vegetables that are unfamiliar or others you've just never got around to cooking before, much like the unusual looking taro root.

While taro root is popular in Asia and the Pacific Islands, some other other parts of the world are just waking up to the  versatility of this low carb vegetable. Whether you're already sold on it's unusual purple hue or you've never tried it, here's more about the tropical tuber.

What is Taro Root?

Taro is the starchy root of the tropical taro plant originating in Asia. It's firm with a dark brown skin and an interesting lilac/purple interior.

How to cook with Taro Root?

Boiled, roasted, simmered, mashed or fried;  cooking with Taro is as easy as cooking with potatoes, sweet potatoes or yam, making it good for anything from fries to adding to curries.

The root vegetable is used in sweet and savoury cooking around the world.  Something of a staple ingredient in Hawaiian cusine there are estimated to be around 300 varietals with the famous Hawaiian Poi, being the most common dish championing the root vegetable.

As well as eating taro root, you can drink it where it has become popular in powder form for making taro root bubble tea. 

Taro root is also interesting to add in alongside other root vegetables. Try this vegetarian dish fpr MANIÒCAS by chefs Daniel Redondo and Helena Rizzo

 

Follow Fine Dining Lovers on Facebook