Taro Root

Taro is one of the oldest cultivated root vegetables, grown throughout the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, and parts of Africa. The corm has a rough, hairy brown skin and dense, starchy flesh that ranges from white to pale purple depending on the variety.

In Australian kitchens, taro appears in many Pacific Islander and Asian dishes. It can be boiled, steamed, roasted, or fried, and takes on a creamy, slightly nutty character when cooked. It’s commonly used in curries, stews, chips, and desserts. In Polynesian cooking, it’s pounded into poi or baked in earth ovens.

Taro must always be cooked before eating, as the raw corm contains calcium oxalate crystals that are irritating to the mouth and throat. Once cooked, it becomes tender and easily digestible, with a texture somewhere between potato and chestnut.