Taro, raw

Taro is a starchy root vegetable with a dense, slightly purple-flecked flesh and a mild, nutty, faintly sweet flavor once cooked; it must always be cooked, never eaten raw, since raw taro contains compounds that irritate the mouth and throat. Peeled and boiled, steamed, or fried, it takes on a texture somewhere between potato and chestnut, and it shows up sliced into chips, mashed into poi, simmered into stews and curries across Pacific, Caribbean, and Asian cooking, or added to soups where it thickens the broth as it breaks down. It also turns up in desserts, ground into flour for cakes or bubble tea flavoring, where its subtle sweetness and purple hue come through.

Choose taro roots that are firm and heavy for their size with dry, unblemished skin, and store them in a cool, dark, dry spot much like potatoes, using them within a couple of weeks; once peeled and cooked, leftovers keep refrigerated for a few days. A cup of sliced raw taro runs 112 calories with 26.5 grams of carbohydrate and 4.1 grams of fiber, covering 15% of the daily value, so it works well as a filling, low-sodium starch to build a meal around in place of white potatoes. It also carries a notable amount of vitamin E at 16% of the daily value and potassium at 13%, both worth factoring in when planning a root-vegetable side dish.