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Taro Delivery or Pickup
The Instacart guide to taro
About taro
Taro is a starchy tuberous vegetable similar to a potato with a richer and more complex flavor that's slightly sweet and nutty. The flesh is usually white with purple specks, and it turns a characteristic light purple when cooked. For centuries, taro has been an important ingredient in cuisines worldwide, including the Caribbean, the Pacific Islands, Africa, China, Japan, Egypt, Greece, India, Rome, and Latin America. Taro is also known by numerous other names, including dasheen in the Caribbean, culcas in Egypt, and kalo in Hawaii.
Malanga and eddo are close relatives of the taro plant. Malanga has a slightly earthier flavor than taro, and eddo has more slippery flesh, but the three tubers are very similar overall and can be used interchangeably in recipes.
How to pick out taro
With scales and what look like brown, hairy stripes, taro roots aren't picked for their good looks. What you should look for is taro with no mushy, black, or dry spots. A good taro root will feel heavy for its size, and the leaves will be green and perky with no discoloration. You should detect a clean, fresh scent.
In addition to the taro roots in the fresh produce department, you'll find them whole and in sliced form in the freezer section. You may also see patra, a spicy Indian snack made with rolled taro leaves, found with refrigerated prepared foods.
How to use taro
The possibilities with taro are many and varied. This versatile root works in sweet recipes or savory. Given taro's history around the world, traditional ethnic dishes abound. Indian recipes often add taro to curries. Taro root is the key ingredient in Hawaii's iconic poi side dish, and the stewed leaves are the foundation of Caribbean callaloo. Samoans make a gooey taro dessert. In West African fufu, the starchy root is used to make dough. And taro leaves can be dried and used for recipes such as laing, a spicy Filipino stew with meat, coconut milk, and dried taro leaves.
You can also just treat taro as you would a potato. Mash it, bake it, fry it, roast it, steam it, or add it to a stew or casserole. You can grill it, make taro fries or chips, or simply boil it and serve sliced with salt, pepper, and butter. Stew the leaves like spinach or use them to roll up any number of tasty ingredients. You might also try baking taro bread or whipping up taro pancakes. On the sweet side, cakes, pies, puddings, bubble tea, and even ice cream can all be made with taro as a foundation.
A few things to remember when cooking with taro:
- The taro root's fuzzy brown skin can irritate your skin. Consider wearing kitchen gloves or handling the root with a towel. Then cut that outer layer away before you proceed.
- Whatever the recipe, taro root must be cooked, as it's toxic in its raw state. The same thing goes for the leaves.
When it's time to buy taro to prepare a snack, side dish, meal, or dessert, Instacart makes it easy! Just add taro to your next order in the Instacart app. One of our knowledgeable shoppers will gather what you need, and your order should be at your house in as little as 2 hours!
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FAQs about taro
Unlike other tubers and root vegetables, taro doesn't keep well for long periods. Taro roots will last for a few days if you store them in a cool, dark, well-ventilated spot. They won't do well in the refrigerator. The leaves, however, should go in the refrigerator. Wrap them in a damp paper towel inside a sealed plastic bag, and they'll also last for several days.
You can freeze raw taro as well. First, boil it on high for five minutes, then let it cool and drain it. Pack it in a freezer bag and freeze immediately. If you have leftovers from your taro dish, they should go in the refrigerator or freezer within two hours. Cooked leaves can be frozen as well.
Taro has more nutritional value than potatoes and most other tubers and root vegetables. Taro is low in calories, full of fiber, and has B and C vitamins, free radical-fighting antioxidants, and minerals like copper, zinc, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, and iron. That means taro is a healthy choice for your heart, thyroid, blood, energy, metabolism, weight, digestion, vision, circulation, immune system, blood sugar, and blood pressure, and they might even reduce cancer risk.
Here's a simple home remedy: Wash the itchy area in cold water, then cover with table salt or baking soda. Add a bit more cold water to create a paste-like consistency and rub in thoroughly. Rinse in cold water. Repeat several times, if necessary, until the itching subsides.