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TARO (TAR-oh)

A tropical Asian plant having large, spherical tubers

Common clues: Edible root; Tropical tuber; Poi source; Starch source; South Seas staple; Hawaiian tuber; Root for Hawaiians; Luau leaf

Crossword puzzle frequency: 4 times a year

Frequency in English language: 48621 / 86800

News: Taro Pancakes and More: What to Eat at Taro Fest in Hana

Video: Taro burgers



Taro (from Tahitian or other Polynesian languages), more rarely kalo (from Hawaiian), gabi in The Philippines and dalo in Fiji is a tropical plant grown primarily as a vegetable food for its edible corm, and secondarily as a leaf vegetable. It is considered a staple in oceanic cultures. It is believed to be one of the earliest cultivated plants. Taro is closely related to Xanthosoma and Caladium, plants commonly grown as ornamentals, and like them it is sometimes loosely called elephant ear. In its raw form the plant is toxic due to the presence of calcium oxalate, although the toxin is destroyed by cooking or can be removed by steeping taro roots in cold water overnight.


Taro roots (corms) for sale at a market in California, 2009

Taro was probably first native to the lowland wetlands of Malaysia (taloes). Estimates are that taro was in cultivation in wet tropical India before 5000 B.C., presumably coming from Malaysia, and from India further transported westward to ancient Egypt, where it was described by Greek and Roman historians as an important crop.

Taro has a flavor that has often been likened to that of artificial butter used for popcorn in movie theatres and Sour Patch candies.





This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Taro".




TARO (257) 42 Tu >1 08 Poi source

26 We+ >1 06 Tropical tuber

20 Tu >1 08 Poi base

13 >1 00 Source of poi

10 Tu- >1 04 Edible root BEET EDDO

10 Tu+ >1 96 Poi ingredient

8 Tu >1 08 Poi root

8 Tu >1 09 Poi, basically

7 We+ >1 98 Poi, essentially

6 Tu >1 08 Hawaiian tuber

5 Th- >1 04 South Seas staple

5 Tu+ >1 06 Starch source CORN SAGO

5 Mo+ >1 05 Tropical root

4 Tu- >1 07 Poi plant

4 We+ >1 08 South Seas starch source

3 Th- >1 99 Edible tuber

3 Tu >1 09 Root for Hawaiians

3 We- >1 06 South Seas tuber

3 Mo+ >1 02 Starchy root

08 Cocoyam

2 Tu >1 81 Dasheen

2 Fr- >1 07 Elephant's ear

2 Fr- NYT 99 Elephant's-ear

2 Fr- >1 00 Hawaiian harvest

2 Sa- >1 05 Hawaiian staple

2 Th- >1 04 Luau leaf