Table of contents:
What is Taro
Taro is a root vegetable widely used in Southeast Asian countries. In Japan, this plant is known as Sato-imo (里芋) and is mainly used in traditional Japanese cuisine. The starchy taro corm is the edible part of the plant and serves as an ingredient for many tasty dishes. The corm (shown in the title picture) is covered with a brown skin. Inside is the white "flesh", which looks similar to radish. In terms of taste, Taro is not comparable to any known plant. Tato has a unique taste that you either love or hate. The consistency of the prepared Taro root is similar to that of Korean sweet potato. Soft and firm at the same time.
Taro is considered by some to be a substitute for potatoes. The nutritional values and the consistency are very similar to a potato.
The nutritional values of the Taro root are:
| Calorie | 595 kJ (= 142 kcal) |
|---|---|
| Fat | 0,1 g |
| Protein | 0,5 g |
| Carbohydrate | 34,6 g |
How is Taro used
Taro is cooked, steamed, roasted, braised, fried, or even deep-fried. When cooking and steaming, the root becomes soft and somewhat slimy due to its composition. Some dishes are based entirely on the corm and build on the special taste of the corm. Due to the unique taste, many special dishes and snacks have also been developed. Besides Taro chocolate, there is Taro pudding, Taro ice cream, Taro cake and many other dishes.
Preparing Taro
Some caution is required when preparing fresh Taro corm. The brown, slightly hairy hull makes human skin itchy and can be irritating. Therefore, the corm should first be removed from the outer hull with gloves. After thorough washing, the corm is often cut into cubes. These should not be cut too small, but not too large either. Then you decide how you want to use it further. You can also eat the corm pure as a dessert by first steaming it for 10 minutes and then mashing it with a fork into a puree. The pure Taro taste is ready to serve.
Buying Taro
Taro can currently only be found in Asian supermarkets in Germany. In large markets you will find complete Taro corms. Many markets also offer pre-packaged Taro pastes that you can use directly for cooking.
Taro in Japanese Cuisine
Sato-imo is deeply rooted in Japanese cuisine.
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