The market · Roots and tubers · East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Africa
Taro
A hairy corm whose starchy flesh cooks to a nutty, slippery creaminess — eaten from Japan to West Africa, where it's one of the cocoyams.
nutty · earthy · creamy
at its peakKinds
- Satoimo
- Japanese, egg-sized and sticky — for simmered dishes.
- Large taro
- Purple-flecked and drier — for Chinese and Southeast Asian sweets.
- Arbi
- Small, from South Asian grocers.
Goes with
Knowing it
- Where to buy
- Firm, with no soft or mouldy spots.
- Worth knowing
- Never eat it raw — it contains calcium oxalate, which irritates. Wear gloves to peel if your hands itch.
