Taro

A large corm with rough, ringed brown skin and white flesh threaded with purple, floury and fragrant when steamed. New Year taro cake needs it, diced and fried before it meets the rice-flour batter, and it goes into 芋頭西米露 and 喳咋. Pick the one that feels light for its size; that is the floury one. Every Asian grocer in Australia sells the big taro, and some Coles and Woolworths carry it as taro; the small hairy 芋仔 is not the same thing.

Cautions: read first

• Raw taro irritates the skin and is not eaten raw: peel with gloves or oiled hands and cook it through.

Preparation

Peel thickly with gloves and dice; fry first for a cake, steam soft first for a tong sui.

Origin

Lipu, Guangxi. Whole big taro at Asian grocers and some supermarkets; choose the one that feels light.

Availability in Australia

Easy to find

Pairs well with