Taro (yam)

March 24, 2009

Print This Post
Filed under Asian Pantry; Non-recipes; fresh produce

It is used as a vegetable in the sour soup called sinigang and it is cooked like sweetened fruit in the snack called guinataan. It is called taro but Filipinos know it by its local name, gabi. In Sri Lanka, it is called kiri ala; in Malaysia, the name is keladi; in Thailand, phueak; in Vietnam, khoai mon; and in Japan, sato-imo (source: Asian Food by Charmaine Solomon).

taro1

The popularity of yam extends beyond Asia and into the Pacific where it is found in the cuisines of Hawaii and many Polynesian islands. It is also called arrow root in some cultures. If you see a recipe that uses arrow root to thick a broth or sauce, it is yam that is being referred to except by another name.

The yam consists of the edible root — or corm, to be more precise. The taro leaves are eaten as a vegetable usually with coconut milk (more on taro leaves in a separate entry).

taro

The yam must be peeled before cooking then cut according to the desired size and shape. Once cooked, the yam releases its starch making it sticky. And the longer it is cooked, the starchier and stickier it becomes.

« How to make fish stock

Oyster omelet »

Comments

One Response to “Taro (yam)”

louhanna says:

March 24, 2009 at 11:06 pm

Thank you Miss Sassy for the pics. Here in Davao it isa also called carlang.

Reply

You may post a relevant comment.
If you want your own pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!

Name (required)

Mail (will not be published) (required)

Website

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING A COMMENT

Except for personal use, or as legitimate RSS feeds with link back to this page, NO PART OF THIS ENTRY MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY MANNER, whether individually or as part of a collection, without the owner's PRIOR written permission. This blog is a FREE service. Help maintain it by respecting the author's copyright.

Some entries have multiple pages. Most recipes are on page 2; others, on page 3 or 4. Click on the pagination links to view them.

Some entries DO NOT contain recipes.

Sorry, I don't e-mail recipes. However, you may opt to receive a weekly summary of recent Pinoy Cook food articles and recipes by using the link on the left sidebar.