These are some taro plants growing in a lush Hawaiian valley, on Maui's north shore, where the plentiful rains bring an abundance of life. Taro patches used to be more common, and every family had these plants as a staple, to get by. The taro plant is like a symbol of the family, and it was held in high esteem. It is believed to be one of the earliest cultivated plants, originating in the Malaysian area.
In Hawaii, one of the traditional foods, POI, is made from the taro root. The leaves are another great food, high in vitamins and minerals, and are used most notably in LAU LAU. Today you can find both poi and lau lau in most Hawaii grocery stores and local restaurants, and the taro roots and leaves for sale in the supermarkets and ethnic food shops.
Are you looking for a little patch to call your own, where you can get back to living off the land? Haiku Maui could be that place.
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Aloha from Haiku Maui - Georgina M Hunter Realtor (Sales) - 808 283-0635
Georgina, What a lovely shot and some great information. I'd never heard of these plants and enjoyed seeing and reading about them.
Georgina - great information here about poi and lau lau. The plants are beautiful as well.
Carole and Sharon - thanks for coming by to learn about the taro plant and it's products. When you see a traditional Hawaiian village with little homes and taro patches, it's really a beautiful sight.
Goergina,
Great photo!
I really never knew where Taro Cards came from - and now I know. :)
Jack - haha I don't think so... that's tarot cards. But you might see taro chips at the grocery store - sort of a healthier potato chip... they're purple.
Georgina - Great photograph with some great information, thanks for the blog. Another thing, my wife Nu Nu has been bugging me to visit Hawaii. So I think I might just surprise her with a great Christmas present, if you know what I mean.
When would be the best time to come Jan or Feb?
I had never heard of the taro plant, but I thought they looked like elephant ears, so I went to Wikipedia and found that, indeed, they are related to caladiums and loosely called elephant ears. Here's some more information I found about the taro plant, though:
It's the root that is edible, but not it its raw form since it contains the toxin calcium oxalate. Calcium oxalate is destroyed by cooking or can by steeping the roots in cold water overnight.
Interesting.
By the way, there's a little "elephant ear" patch a couple of blocks from me in a public space along a sidewalk. It's always full of water, and I've reported the "leak" a couple of times. Now I'm wondering if it's not just a taro patch here in San Diego. I shall have to get a picture of it.
I also forgot to tell you that the picture is beautiful, but that house is a little too small for my tastes -- LOL.
Georgina, as it happens I grow taro at my own home. It is great accent plant, and I do harvest it. Russel pointed out the fact of the toxin in the root. You mentioned the leaves; I have been told that you should only harvest young leaves, since older ones can be too toxic even when cooked. Do not know if that fact is true, but I stick to the young leaves.
Robert - funny thing, it's really 2 pictures, but because there were taken at the same place and time, they kind of bled together and make one! what a nice surprise that would be for your wife! Anytime is good, but you'll probably get some good airfare deals in late Jan or Feb. Be sure to come to Maui and not just Oahu. Let me know when you're coming and I can meet you in Paia and show you around this little town.
Russel - yes you have to cook it or you get a prickly feeling in the mouth. There is a very close relative here called ape (apay), or elephant's ear, which gets really big but they don't eat that one. It makes a great umbrella though. I would like to see a picture of your local taro patch. As for the little house, it's really just a cute shed.
Frank I might have known you would be growing some taro. I still need to cross that off my to-do list! Do you have the black variety? It's very beautiful. Whenever I've used the leaves for LauLau they have been the smaller ones, which are still pretty large. I thought it was because they were more tender and tasty, but maybe what you say is true. How do you prepare yours?
It is only what I have heard about the toxicity. I want the black variety (I have a non-edible variety that is black, and it is stunning), but I have some wonderful green ones. I need to try the recipes that you mention. I have used the leaf as a wrap around fish or other vegetables when baking (everything covered with parchment or foil so the leaf does not burn) or steaming (I have steamed rice in the leaf). I also fry it like I do with spinach. I just take what herbs or alium that looks best, so sometimes garlic, sometimes shallot, or sometimes spring onion, along with a lemony flavored herb.
Happy Thanksgiving Georgina. My famiily wishes you and yours the best. PS- my family grew by one this past Friday. Another little girl. Her brother gave her the name Sakura (Japanese for Cherry Blosson), and I gave her the middle name of Erika.
That's wonderful news Frank - congratulations on the new baby girl with the pretty name.
If you have Ti leaves (Cordyline terminalis) growing, you could make your own laulaus.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Looks like the taro patch is growing in nicely down in Honopou. When was that taken?
Pete - July 25th 2008