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Post by stevil on Jan 3, 2011 14:22:56 GMT -5
It's one of the smaller types, which are sweeter than the big ones that are just blandly starchy. I dunno if the small sweet ones are just younger, or if they are different varieties. The standard taro I've grown for many years came from a supermarket in the Philippines where I was working around 1995 - it sadly died last winter, but hadn't been happy for some time. It was one of the small types - at the time I took that one back to Norway as I thought being smaller would take better to a pot, but you may be right that it is just harvested young or sorted. However there are hundreds of varieties and a lot of breeding work for disease resistance. I remember seeing a large collection in Oahu (Hawaii). Working a lot in the Pacific and islands I became very fond of them - also the greens...
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Post by atash on Jan 5, 2011 15:32:14 GMT -5
I'm curious enough now to find out what makes the difference (age or type) between the small sweet ones and the big bland ones. I will find out, because it's worth knowing.
Someone posted a picture of one blooming. Do they set viable seed? Because seed is a lot more failsafe than trying to keep tubers alive from year to year.
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Post by stevil on Jan 6, 2011 12:46:47 GMT -5
Elephant Ears can I think be a number of different plants. However, I think you are referring to what I know as Giant Taro. I remember seeing these plants growing in Fiji and I recall that they were also sometimes used for food there. It is also in the Araceae like Taro, Arisaema and Monstera. Giant taro is Alocasia macrorrhizos (or maccrorhiza). It doesn't seem to be mentioned in Cornucopia, but it's edibility is, for example, mentioned on this page: tinyurl.com/2ucuypr
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Post by stevil on Jan 6, 2011 12:49:00 GMT -5
I'm curious enough now to find out what makes the difference (age or type) between the small sweet ones and the big bland ones. I will find out, because it's worth knowing. Let us know what you find out!
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Post by cortona on Jan 6, 2011 12:50:30 GMT -5
sorry dust.. mi knowdlege of english is scarce so your post looks misterious to me..can you explain?
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Post by stevil on Jan 6, 2011 12:53:43 GMT -5
I actually have (had) another one - I bought this one on a Maori market in Auckland, New Zealand - called Tarua (giving a clue to its family). Larger tubers than Taro. I eventually found out that it is a Xanthosoma species, possibly sagittifolium, also called Yautia and Indian Kale - the young leaves are also eaten. It grew well in a pot and is a nice house plant, but being a large plant in a too small pot never produced much. Never got round to giving it more space (too many edible house plants vying for the same limited space). Although Taro succumbed to greenfly in winter, this one seemed to be resistent. Here it is (it has possibly died this winter): Attachments:
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Post by stevil on Jan 6, 2011 13:04:49 GMT -5
Looks like a type of bat...vampirus cortonata. If you go to plant it and it hisses, you'd better run! All my plants hiss, squeak and make various other noises too. I thought it was normal?
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Post by ottawagardener on Jan 6, 2011 13:49:07 GMT -5
Only the lucky ones can hear them Stephen
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Post by cortona on Jan 6, 2011 18:00:35 GMT -5
thanks dust! is a little nice bat! i know that is dangerous in some way but...it so cuteeee! aniway cortonata sound realy similar to my nikname(alas my city's name) and there the misunderstanding. thanks for your kindeness!
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Post by atash on Jan 6, 2011 19:07:34 GMT -5
I'm curious enough now to find out what makes the difference (age or type) between the small sweet ones and the big bland ones. I will find out, because it's worth knowing. Let us know what you find out! It looks like they are different varieties but information on the internet is confusing due to far too many uselessly generic names (eg, "Chinese Taro"). Some of them are not even the same genus! I might try asking some Chinese growers. If worse came to worse I could also look for one that looks like it's still alive, and grow it. I see too a great deal of disinformation online. Contrary to numerous sites, not all taros contain significant amounts of Calcium oxalate. I know because I've eaten the leaves of some of them essentially raw (don't do that unless you know the variety; you might be in for an unpleasant surprise with some varieties...).
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