Taro

Taro is the common name for Colocasia esculenta, the starchy corm that is a staple food across the Pacific, Asia, and Africa, also known as dasheen or eddoe. Its corms must always be eaten cooked: raw taro contains irritant calcium-oxalate crystals that burn the mouth and throat, destroyed by thorough boiling, baking, or pounding into poi. It provides energy-rich starch with a smooth, slightly slippery texture when cooked, and its leaves are also eaten cooked as greens. It is a cornerstone of food security in humid tropical regions.