Calories
40
Taro leaf, sometimes called “elephant ear” for its shape, is a broad, heart-shaped leaf that grows up to 20 by 40 centimetres in size. The leaves are dark green and smooth on the top and light green on the underside. The veins and stem of the plant can have a light reddish-purple colour. When cooked, taro leaves are tender and have a mild, nutty flavour with a slightly metallic, iron taste similar to spinach.
While taro leaves are native to Southeast Asia and Southern India, they are found today in fresh markets throughout Asia, Polynesia, the Cook Islands, the Caribbean and tropical Africa. The leaf has many names including malanga, keladi, alu, dasheen, taloes, tayer, gabi, avi, colcas, kalo, luau and amateke.
Did you know…
There are 87 varieties of taro around the world.
The taro plant can grow up to 3 metres in height.
Both the leaves and the root of the taro plant are used for medicinal applications.
With 87 varieties around the world, taro is a staple food for over 10% of the Earth’s population.
Its Latin name is Colocasia esculenta
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Per 100 grams
Taro leaves are extremely healthy when prepared properly. Taro leaves are reportedly toxic in their raw state, so should be cooked for consumption. They are a great source of fibre and many nutrients, including calcium, copper, iron, niacin, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, riboflavin, thiamine, vitamins A, B6 and C, and zinc.
40
0.4g
2g
2g
Taro leaves are typically steamed, fried, sautéed or boiled. Depending on the dish, they can also be spiced, rolled, sliced and deep fried or rolled up tightly and simmered. Similar to spinach, taro leaves contain nitrates and is best not reheated. Taro leaves can be kept in the fridge for up to two days.
Foods that pair well with taro leaf: chicken, pork, beef, dried shrimp, fish, fish sauce, coconut milk, chilies, sweet potato, chickpeas and tomatoes.
Laing (taro leaves in coconut milk)
Cooking time: 1 hour
Difficulty level: easy
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
500 g taro leaves (sliced)
500 g taro stems (peeled)
1 pack coconut milk
1 pack coconut cream
250 g pork belly (cut in cubes)
2 pcs dried fish (or 64g of dilis)
4 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 onion (sliced)
1 tbsp ginger (grated)
2 green chilli peppers
3-4 chilis
Instructions:
Callaloo (Caribbean green soup)
Cooking time: 1 hour
Difficulty level: easy
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion (coarsely chopped)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
½ red bell pepper (diced)
½ green bell pepper (diced)
10 pieces okra (tops removed and sliced)
250 ml pumpkin or squash (chopped, or 1 can of puree)
½ tsp dried thyme leaves (or 3 sprigs fresh)
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp black pepper
500 ml coconut milk
200 ml chicken broth (or vegetable stock)
1 habanero pepper (whole)
500 g fresh taro leaves, stems included (coarsely chopped)
6 chives (chopped)
Instructions:
* You can add meat to this dish, such as crab, stewed chicken or salted pork. Typically, the meat is cooked with the vegetables, fished out before blending, then shredded and added to the blended soup to finish.