Taro.

Taro is the corm, a swollen underground stem, of a plant with big heart-shaped leaves. Outside it's brown, rough and ringed with fine hairs. Inside, the flesh is creamy white, often flecked with small purple dots. Once cooked it turns soft and slightly sticky, with a gentle nutty taste and a scent all its own. Thai desserts use it a lot, and it holds up just as well in savoury pots.

Raw taro is never eaten. It makes the mouth and skin itch, so it always needs to be cooked through, and many people wear gloves to peel it.

Ways to use it

• Steam chunks until soft, then serve with grated coconut and a little sugar and salt.
• Simmer cubes in sweet coconut milk for a warm dessert.
• Mash steamed taro with flour to make the purple-flecked dough for bua loy, small dumplings in coconut milk.
• Slice thin and fry into crisp chips, or cut into sticks and fry in batter.
• Add chunks to a Chinese-style braise with pork belly and soy sauce.

Storing it

Keep the corms whole, dry and unwashed in a cool place with some air around them, away from the fridge. Peel with a knife, rinse the pieces, and cook them the same day.

Where it comes from

Grown to certified organic standards. The certificate for each lot is shown when you trace your pack.

Every pack will carry a lot code. Enter it on the Trace your pack page and you will see the farms in that lot, the harvest date and the certificate.