Taro is an Asian ingredient that also happens to be one of our favorites to cook with! It has a deliciously buttery flavor and smooth texture, and it’s as versatile as a potato. In this article, we’ll talk about what taro is, how to cook it, and our favorite recipes that use it.
What Is Taro?
Taro is a root vegetable with a brown, burlap-like rough exterior and a white interior with flecks of purple or pink—and sometimes vein-like purple lines. There are two main types:
- The football-sized large taro, which is most common. It is very starchy, similar to a russet potato, but with more heft to it. We would describe its flavor as richly nutty and buttery.
- Small taro, which are about the size of a medium potato. They are less starchy, with a softer, stickier texture. We would actually describe the texture as slightly slimy, which may not be the most appetizing word, but there’s no other way to say it!
Scientifically known as colocasia esculenta, this starchy root is native to Southeast Asia and has been feeding people across the globe for millennia. While it is often referred to as “taro root,” botanically, it is actually a corm, which is a type of underground plant structure that stores nutrients.
Corms differ from tubers (like potatoes), bulbs (like garlic, onions, or shallots), and rhizomes (like ginger or turmeric). Corms are actually solid, enlarged underground stems. If you’re curious to know more, we found that this website had the best quick explanation for the differences between these types of plant structures!
Long story short, the leaves, stems, and corms are all edible, but what we know as taro is the part that grows below the soil. When it comes to nutrition, it is rich in carbohydrates and fiber, and also contains manganese, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E, and potassium.
How to Select, Store & Prepare Taro
Let’s start with choosing taro at the Asian market. Look for firm specimens without any soft or moldy spots. It should be heavy for its size, and if you look at the cut end, it should look somewhat fresh. Small taro won’t generally have a cut end, so just check for firmness and heft.
When you bring your taro home, you can store it in a cool dark place (like you would with potatoes and onions). It will only store this way for a few days, so it’s best to buy it right before you intend to use it.
Taro must be cooked before consuming. Raw taro contains calcium oxalate, which can irritate the mouth and skin. Be sure to always cook it thoroughly!
Some suggest wearing gloves when handling it raw. We have never personally had a problem touching it, but if you have sensitive skin, you may want to protect your hands.
Large taro should be peeled before using. Simply use a vegetable peeler to peel away the outer skin.
Alternatively, you can cut the large cylindrical taro into smaller pieces, and then place it on its flat end, and then use a sharp knife to cut away the skin. If you’re not confident in your knife skills, this method can tend to waste more of the taro flesh, so the peeler might be the better tool to use.
Once peeled, you can rinse and then slice it, cube it, or cut it into chunks for cooking.
Taro Recipes
Okay, now that we have the functional info out of the way, let’s talk about how to cook taro, and our favorite recipes that use it.
Taro can be used in savory dishes, desserts, and snacks. We love it steamed. Sometimes Judy eats it steamed, plain (instead of rice), with other dishes. We also like using it to make crispy slices of taro cake, or in dessert soups.
Here are some of our favorite taro recipes:
Taro Cake
This recipe probably accounts for most of our taro intake over the years. We make it most often around Chinese New Year. Mixed with rice flour, glutinous rice flour, Chinese sausage, dried shrimp, scallions, and seasoning, the batter is then steamed and pan-fried until crispy. It is so delicious, and makes a great breakfast or snack, on its own or (like lo bak go/radish cake) dipped in oyster sauce.
Braised Pork Ribs with Taro
Taro is wonderful in braised meat dishes. You might even find yourself digging for the taro rather than the meat! You shallow-fry it to get a nice crust on it before adding to the braise. This ensures that it doesn’t break down in the sauce. The taro absorbs the flavor of the sauce, and also provides a nice textural contrast to the meat in the dish.
Braised Duck with Taro
If you want to try a more traditional, show-stopping dish for a special occasion, this braised duck with taro is it! You won’t find this in a restaurant. Our recipe came from Bill’s father, a restaurant chef, who only made it at home.
Steamed Garlic Ribs with Taro
Taro might just be the star of this dish. Garlicky pork ribs are steamed on a bed of small taro cubes, which absorb all those juices and delicious flavors. This recipe is easy enough for a weeknight! Just marinate the ribs the night before, and steam when you’re ready to eat!
Steamed Pork Belly with Taro (Wu Tau Kau Yuk)
We break out this recipe around Chinese New Year, because it takes a bit of care to make and is a major show-stopper. Slices of taro get layered with pork belly in a delicious sauce. They steam together, and the sauce gets reduced and poured over the top. This one always gets requested during Chinese holidays in our house for a reason! Make it for your loved ones, and be prepared to rake in the compliments! If you have someone in your life to make it for you, consider yourself lucky!
Chinese Seafood Bird’s Nest
This recipe is an example of fried taro. It can be sliced thinly and fried into chips, or julienned and then fried into a basket, as in this fancy restaurant-style dish. A fried “nest” serves as the base for a clean, fresh seafood stir-fry with vegetables. Looking to test your kitchen skill? Try your hand at this delicate Chinese banquet dish.
Taro Rice
A comforting, stick-to-your ribs dish of buttery taro cubes, seasoned rice, Chinese sausage, aromatic dried shrimp, and scallions, this hearty recipe feeds a crowd!
Taro Sago Dessert Soup
Our favorite taro dessert is this creamy, lightly sweet dessert soup. Sweetened with condensed milk, and enriched with a bit of coconut milk, this dessert tastes rich and delicious without being heavy or overly sweet. For us, a hint of vanilla ties all the flavors together!
This ingredient Across Cultures
Wild taro plants originated in the tropics of Southeast Asia, where humans learned to cultivate the plant long ago. Migration, trade, and colonization brought taro to Africa, the Americas, and the Mediterranean region.
Across the world, this vegetable goes by many names, including chēmbŭ, cocoyam, dasheen, eddoe, gabi, kalo, khoai môn, kochu, saru, and taro—a loanword from the language of the Māori people.
Many cultures have their own connections with it:
- In Hawaii, it becomes poi—a purple, smooth paste that’s been a staple for generations
- Chinese dim sum masters transform it into wu gok, those crispy, golden dumplings with crunchy “wisps” encasing buttery taro and a tasty meat filling. We have that recipe in our cookbook!
- Filipino bubble tea shops turn it into a creamy, dreamy drink that’s impossible to resist
- Japanese cuisine celebrates it in everything from mochi to ice cream
- If you got into the Terra chip craze in the 90s, you may have had them fried into chips!
Next time you’re at an Asian market, pick up some taro, and see what it’s all about. If you have any other questions about this ingredient, let us know in the comments!
