What is Colocasia?
Colocasia is a group of flowering plants used in landscaping and sometimes in food. Plants of this genus come in 25 species and common names for this species include an elephant ear, Eddoe, Dasheen, Taro and Cocoyam. The leaves of these plants are shaped as shields or arrows, each of which grows on a single stem and in the range of 10 to 60 inches (25 to 150 centimeters) across. The plant is originally from tropical regions of Asia and America and the rhizomes of some varieties are consumed as starch vegetables. In the garden they are valued as ornamental plants growing as a focus in the back of the field plan. Several varieties produce different sizes of plants, leaves color, from bright green to red -colored and black leaves. Colocasia grows best in tropical areas with abundant water; When the plant dries, the leaves are folded down and decreases on the dryness of dry brown spots or edges. The plant can be grown by planting tubers or rhizomes, just below the surface, or ripe plants can be set to preliminarythe holes.
As a food plant, Colocasia is used throughout Africa, Caribbean and South America. Edible varieties are called Taro, Cocoyam, Dasheen, Callolo or Eddoe from local residents and plants can be grown or harvested in the wild. The tubers of the plant are white, with a dark colored peel that is peeled before eating, and the taste is somewhat similar to potatoes. For many tropical cultures, this root is the main source of starch, which is used in many meals. The leaves have a high content of vitamins A, B and K, while the tubers provide several minerals and carbohydrates.
Caribbean meal CALALOO, steamed meat with variable ingredients, always contains chopped Colocasiat leaves, and sometimes also includes chopped tubers. Some South American cultures dry up tubers and pound them into flour, which are used in baking and as a thickening agent. The leaves have a taste similar to spinach or kolárs and canBeing steamed, used as packaging for other meals or included in Indian curry chembila curry. Peoples from Hawaii to India to Africa also cook, fry or crush the roots before eating. In Cameroon, the flowers of the plants are used to prepare a bowl called achu soup.