These are taros,but explain the difference between these and Malanga.
Elephant ears or Malanga
So far as I know Melanga is a Xanthosoma species and not Alocasia or Colocasia.
Is poi made with Malanga ,like it is with Taro?
They look so much a like.
NO...poi is made only from Taro...and there is a whole culture around which Taro makes the best: dryland or wetland...and which cvs....
So, I don't eat poi and love the leaves. It's safer!
Tman,notice the points on the leaves and the way the stem connects to the leaf,it is different then Colos.
Holy cow Root! Your plant looks shorter than mine with HUGE leaves! Mine is taller with smaller leaves. Now tell me why! LOL
This is where I dump what is left of my Brug fert when I am done feeding.
Ah hah!! I'll try to do that if anything is ever left. LOL Always a pleasure to see your plants root and tman!
I'll have to take a pic of mine they don't look like yours,I bought mine at asian market,they where a root looking not like a bulb like taro.
Rootdoctor's picture is Xanthosoma sagittifolium. Is that the only plant that can accurately be called Melanga (or Malanga)?
I am not sure,show yours Rik.LOL!
This message was edited Aug 1, 2004 3:22 AM
I nearly killed my X. sagit. over the winter, and it's just staring to get new sprouts from the root -- not much to show yet. It definitely didn't have petioles as stocky as yours.
I just had an early-morning walk at the botanical gardens and noticed one that looked just like yours in growth habit -- short, strong petioles, large, substantial leaves firmly supported -- but this one had well variegated stems, with a tiny line of white along the edge of the leaves in a few places -- not distinctly enough to make it 'albo-marginata' rather than 'variegata,' and one leaf had a white segment that reached the center of the leaf. That plant was labeled X. purpurea variegata, though I couldn't see any purpurea. Maybe the root is purple.
RootMD, do you think yours could be X. purpurea rather than X. sagittifolium?
I found another there with the same habit, but no variegation, but I couldn't find a tag.
Here's a picture of what was called Malanga at the Asian Market,it looked similar to a half shaped moon or crossant for a better explaination.
Here is mine today. I got my root from root last year. LOL
Here is a close up of the leaf.
We might need the help of someone from Polynesia/Oceania or Southeast Asia. In cultures where taro is a staple, it seems to me that there is a proliferation of unnamed edible taros. There are zillions in Hawaiian with native names that are not distinctive enough in appearance to be attractive to gardeners in the continental US. I think "esculenta" means "edible," and just about any EE you can cook and eat without dying is likely to be labeled Colocasia esculenta. I'm pretty sure that both of Tropicman's pictures show species (or subspecies) of C. esculenta. I'm tempted to call the first picture the nominate species (C. esculenta esculenta), but what do I know?
Tropicman's second pic looks like what we call running taro in the South, and, in other parts of the country, it's called Red Dot. However, it seems to be clumping rather than lacing the garden with stolons, so mebbe it's different. I think Red Stem is a Colocasia multiflora, and it looks a lot like running taro/Red Dot.
Badseed, I'll try to remember to get pictures from the botanical gardens. You guys know your plants better than I can judge from pictures. I had never seen X. purpurea before, but to me it looks more like Root's & your plants than X. sagittifolium.
RootMD, how did you come to identify your plant as Malanga?
This message was edited Aug 2, 2004 12:06 PM
I bought it in a grocery store that had a tag saying Malanga with cooking instruction Rik,that is the only way,so if you ID it as something else LMK,I am going to buy a case next year,I want a hedge of them.
This page is handy for edible aroids and their various common names.
http://www.kallus.com/aroids/ediblecommon.htm
In Cuba, Malanga could refer to any of the edible aroids.
Dang,I knew I should not click on that link,now I have a couple more I gotta get!
Great site!
Lester Kallus is a great resource. I hadn't seen that chart before, Eje. Thanks!
Here's a picture of the X. purpurea variegata. I took several other pics of this and one I found later. Badseed & RootMD, do your think this could be your plant? I have other pics (of this and another plant) of individual leaves, close-up of petioles, etc., if you want to see them.
This is what I planted,great link,wish page!!!LOL
http://www.kallus.com/aroids/yautiatuber.jpg
Box said Malanga,and tonite a guy riding a bicycle,said they were malanga,he was from cuba,and from what I think he said they steam the roots in the leaves and eat them,not sure if he meant he eat the leaves too.
This message was edited Aug 2, 2004 10:41 PM
Probably not,I don't think the leaves are eatin,I may be wrong.
Rik,is the lower leaf a new one?
Not sure about Xanthosoma; but, The the leaves of taro are used in some Hawaiian dishes. I had some of these once in Hawaii and they are pretty tasty. They are kind of like tamales.
http://gourmet.sympatico.ca/countries/usa/hawai/laulau.htm
It does seem like the stems of some aroids are also eaten, as I see them sold at my local farmer's market. I'm not sure what kind they are. The stems are very large and they have small tubers.
it takes an 'expert cook' to fix taro leaves. do not even attempt to cook it urself if u do not know how to do it. if not done right, the cooked taro stems and leaves will make ur throats super itchy for days... such a miserable feelings. one might even think they were poisoned. i do not even attempt to eat the dish unless i personally know who fix it.
taro leaves and stems are cooked in coconut milk, and are super tasty. the recipe in the Philippines is called Laing. i do not even attempt to cook it myself cuz it is a long process to fix the dish. Laing is considered a delicacy in the southern area of Luzon, one of the big islands of the P.I. i am not familiar of how it is cook or fix in Hawaii.
if anyone of u has access to a Filipino restaurant and would like to try Laing. u should give it a shot. it sure is good. but! do not ever attempt to fix it urself if u do not know what u are doing in the process of cooking the leaves and stems.
far as i recall, my grandma would bring fresh leaves and stems of taro from the province to the city. it takes several day to partly dry the leaves. outer skin of the stems are taken out. coconut oil is rub on one's hand prior to skinning the stem. accdg to my grandma oiling the hands will prevent the person processing and cleaning the stem is a must or it will make ur hands itchy, not to mention the dark stain it leaves on one's hand. the leaves are never cut with knife but are torn into pieces. once all is cleaned, it is cooked in coconut milk. the dish while being cooked is not stirred or covered. i do not know if it is supersticious belief, but i was told if u cover or stir while cooking, the dish will make ones mouth or throat super itchy when eaten.
personally, i never attempt to cook it cause of the lenghty steps taken during the preparation and cooking stage.
i have to explain cuz i know there are some adventurous people who would attempt to fix/cook taro leaves and stems. Laing is indeed very delicious and such a delicacy where i hail from. and cooking the stem and leaves in coconut milk is the only way i know taro is cook.
taro rhyzome or roots are peeled, boiled or steamed. once cooked it is served cut up with sprinkling of sugar and freshly grated coconut.... almost like eating boiled potato, but taro has a unique flavor all it's own.
small taro roots are used in boiled meat dishes.
All this is very interesting. I have several taros of which I have kept only small specimens because they don't compete well with the visual attractions of other taros. If I can sort out which ones are worth growing as food, and if I can learn how to prepare them, I may go for it.
I found a couple of sites that point out the risks from Calcium oxalate crystals and prussic acid (hydrocyanidic acid) in parts of the plants. Prussic acid can be produced by crushing or bruising, which explains why MaVie's grandmother tore leaves rather than cut them (tears separate along cell walls without rupturing cells). Dumb cane/Dieffenbachia is related plant of which the sap is said to paralyze the vocal chords. As a kid, I did my best to get out of school by chewing the leaves, but no luck -- just a brief, slightly scratching feeling under the tongue and in the throat.
Here are a couple of links -- scroll down to sections on taros:
http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ksheets/tubers.html
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/vege1.htm
Root - Yes, bottom center is a younger leaf. Here's a mature leaf.
Another nice leaf of X. purpurea variegata that I couldn't resist sharing.
I lost that one over winter,one of my Favs.
Awesome pic rik!!
After reading MaVie's post I remembered I work with a man from the Philipines. He said if I brought him in some pics he would be happy to tell me which THEY call which. He also was very familiar with Laing and Poi and several other dishes as well as lemon grass. LOL No, I am not surprised. I told him he could never come to my house though because my back yard would look like a salad bar to him. He was rolling!!
Hey,looks like someone that would to work such as pruning for food!!!LOL!
Send him my way!LOL!
I just stumbled on this article on taros. It looks at some of the variations in terms of some of the native words mentioned above.
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/shade_gardening/95670
Thanks,some great info and pictures.