How to Eat Taro Root

Taro root is a root vegetable that resembles a potato and originated in Asia. You can find taro root in some grocery stores year-round, or in specialty Asian stores. Taro root is starchy like a potato, and you can prepare it similarly to potatoes in many dishes. Look for taro root that is dark brown and firm to the touch, with hairs on the root end.

Taro roots for sale at a market (Image: Kittikorn Phongok/iStock/Getty Images)

Step 1

Peel the taro root and cut it into 1-inch cubes. Place the cubes in boiling water and boil until tender. Whip the cooked taro root with a hand mixer or in a food processor with butter or olive oil. Serve as a side dish like mashed potatoes.

Step 2

Peel the taro root and then run a vegetable peeler down the length of the root to make long shreds or strips. Alternately, use a mandolin slicer to cut thin, potato chip shaped slices. Add the taro to 350 degree Fahrenheit canola or peanut oil and fry them for a few minutes, until they're crisp. Drain on a paper towel and serve.

Step 3

Peel, boil and mash taro root and add it to butter, eggs, milk, nutmeg, cinnamon, white sugar and vanilla to make a batter. Pour the batter in a cake pan and bake it for 45 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Top the cake with icing sugar, or regular icing if you prefer.

Things You'll Need

• Hand mixer

• Food processor

• Butter

• Olive oil

• Vegetable peeler

• Mandolin slicer

• Canola or peanut oil

• Paper towel

• Eggs

• Milk

• Nutmeg

• Cinnamon

• White sugar

• Vanilla

• Cake pan

• Icing sugar

Tip

Bake your thinly sliced taro chips at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes instead of frying to cut back on fat intake.

Omit the butter and oil from mashed taro root, and use a splash of low-fat milk instead, to cut calories and fat.

Limit your servings of the taro-based cake, as it still has many of the high-calorie ingredients of a regular cake.