Someone (Samiam275 - think thats the address not a name!) asked about
colocasia. I've just spent nearly
six years in the West Indies where two root vegetables,colocasia and
xanthosoma, are eaten a lot.
Both Colocasia and Xanthosoma are latin names. In the Caribbean, Colocasia
has the common name of eddoe or taro and Xanthosoma is known as tannia or
dasheen. Just to confuse things, in Africa the commom names are the other
way round and some of the Caribbean islands mix up the names - as you can
imagine it causes great arguments over a drink at the Rum Shop!
Anyway, they are both root vegetables (tubers and cormels actually). The
one you have sounds like eddoe to me and is great in soups and stews or
baked. You can also eat the leaves as a grean vegetable (like spinach). In
the Caribbean, the leaves are called callaloo. Callaloo and crab soup is a
great favourite.
Sorry to go on so much - names are rather confusing.
Janice
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