Colocasia | |
---|---|
Colocasia esculenta | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Alismatales |
Family: | Araceae |
Subfamily: | Aroideae |
Tribe: | Colocasieae |
Genus: | Colocasia Schott |
Natural range of the genus Colocasia. | |
Synonyms [1] [2] | |
LeucocasiaSchott |
Colocasia is a genus [3] [4] of flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to southeastern Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Some species are widely cultivated and naturalized in other tropical and subtropical regions. [1] [5]
The names elephant-ear and cocoyam are also used for some other large-leaved genera in the Araceae, notably Xanthosoma and Caladium . The generic name is derived from the ancient Greek word kolokasion, which in Greek, botanist Dioscorides (1st century AD) may have inferred the edible roots of both Colocasia esculenta and Nelumbo nucifera .
The species Colocasia esculenta is invasive in wetlands along the American Gulf coast, where it threatens to displace native wetland plants. [6]
They are herbaceous perennial plants with a large corm on or just below the ground surface. The leaves are large to very large, 20–150 cm (7.9–59.1 in) long, with a sagittate shape. The elephant's-ear plant gets its name from the leaves, which are shaped like a large ear or shield. The plant reproduces mostly by means of rhizomes (tubers, corms), but it also produces "clusters of two to five fragrant inflorescences in the leaf axils". [7] Like other members of the family, the plant contains an irritant which causes intense discomfort to the lips, mouth and throat. This acridity is caused in part by microscopic needle-like raphides of calcium oxalate monohydrate. [8] It must be processed by cooking, soaking or fermenting – sometimes along with an acid (lime or tamarind) – before being eaten. [9]
There are numerous species of Colocasia. [1] [3] [4] [10]
Colocasia species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Palpifer murinus and Palpifer sexnotatus .
C. esculenta and other members of the genus are cultivated as ornamental plants, or for their edible corms, a traditional starch staple in many tropical areas.
The plant can be grown in the ground or in large containers. They are grown outside year-round in subtropical and tropical areas. In temperate regions, they are planted out for the summer and dug up and stored over winter, dry and with ventilation to prevent fungal infection. They can be grown in almost any temperature zone as long as the summer is warm. Growth is best at temperatures between 20 and 30 °C (68 and 86 °F). The plants can be damaged if temperatures fall below 10 °C (50 °F) for more than a few days.
The root tuber is typically planted close to the surface. The first signs of growth will appear in 1 to 3 weeks. The adult plant will need a minimum of at least 1 m2 (11 sq ft) of space for good growth. They do best in compost-rich soil and in shade, but will grow reasonably well in average soil provided it is moisture-retentive. The plants should not be left to go dry for too long; if this does happen, the leaves will wilt; watering will allow the plant to recover if done before they get too dry. Periodic fertilisation (every 3 to 4 weeks) with a common plant fertiliser will increase yields.
The edible types are grown in the South Pacific and eaten like potatoes and known as taro, eddoe, and dasheen. The leaves are often boiled with coconut milk to make a soup.
Poi, a Hawaiian dish, is made by boiling the starchy underground stem of the plant then mashing it into a paste. [14]
In Cyprus, Colocasia has been in use since antiquity. Today it is known as kolokasi (Kολοκάσι). It is usually cooked with celery and pork or chicken, in a tomato sauce in casserole. "Baby" kolokasi is called "poulles": after being fried dry, red wine and coriander seed are added, and then it is served with freshly squeezed lemon. Lately, some restaurants have begun serving thin slices of kolokasi deep fried, calling them "kolokasi chips".
Apart from Cyprus, Colocasia is found in one other Mediterranean island, the Greek island of Ikaria. After the island was declared a Blue zone its culinary tradition has acquired some popularity and Colocasia is part of that tradition. The plant has been reported to have been a vital source of food during WW II. [15] In Ikaria, after it is boiled it is usually eaten as a salad (with raw onions, herbs, olive oil, lemon etc. [16] ).
In Egypt, the tubercles (or kolkas - arabic: قلقاس) are traditionally cut into cubes and cooked in a green soup with celery, chard, garlic and other herbs. [17] Commonly served with white vermicelli rice or eaten with pita bread dipped into the soup. Prepared mostly during the winter time for warmth and widely prepared on January 19th in Christian households as part of celebrating Coptic epiphany. [18] The broth for the soup can be prepared with beef stock and can have some cubes of beef as well.
Both roots and leaves are eaten. In the Hindi-speaking belt of Northern India and in Pakistan, the root is called arbi. Common preparations include cooking with curry, frying, and boiling.
In Mithalanchal (Bihar), the leaf is called airkanchan and is curried.
In Gujarat, arbi leaves are used to make the dish patra. In Eastern part of Uttar Pradesh, arbi, known as arabi ka patta, is used to make the dish sahina. Arbi is also a very popular dish among the Hindu community in South Africa, where it is known as patha. In Manipur, the leaves are used in the Meitei ethnic cuisine, locally known as utti (pronounce ootti). The leaves are called paangkhoklaa by the Meiteis, while the edible corms are known as paan. Paan is often cooked with fermented soy beans to make curries. It is also used to make eromba, a Meitei side dish.
In Odisha, the root is called saru. it is an important ingredient in dalma, a popular Odia dish. The leaves used in a dish called "saru magura", made with rice batter inside the leaf which is steamed and fried.
In Kerala, the leaves are used to make chēmbilacurry, chēmbilāppam, and the roots are used in chembü puzhukkü. Various other recipes also exist locally. The stem and root are used in the preparation of stew and curry. In Kerala, chembu is planted in the month of May and can be harvested in December of the same year.
In Maharashtra, the leaves are called aloo and are used to make a sweet and sour curry with peanuts and cashew nuts that is commonly cooked during marriages. The leaf bases are mixed with curd to make the side dish dethi. The leaves are also coated in besan and fried to make the snack paatwadi or aloowadi.
In Gujarat, this leaf is called arbi (or alvi) and is used to make patra. This is a steamed dish similar to patrode, but with gram flour instead of the rice flour used in patrode. As in Maharashtra, the leaves are eaten as a fried snack.
In Nagaland, the leaves are dried, powdered, kneaded into a dough and baked into biscuits. These biscuits are burnt and dissolved in boiling water before being added into meat dishes to create a thick, flavourful dry gravy.
In Bengal, the plant is called kachu. Its leaves are used to wrap fish and prawns for steaming to make bhapa mach (steamed fish). The roots are used to make a thick creamy curry in which to cook prawns. The roots and stems are grated with coconut and used to create a chutney.
In South Karnataka particularly in the coastal regions , the leaves are made into a traditional dish called as 'patrode'or 'patrude'.
In Himachal Pradesh, in northern India, taro corms are known as ghandyali in Mandi districts, and the plant is also known as kachalu in the Kangra district. The dish called patrodu is made using taro leaves rolled with corn or gram flour and boiled in water. Another dish, pujji is made with mashed leaves and the trunk of the plant and ghandyali or taro corms are prepared as a separate dish. In Shimla, a pancake-style dish, called patra or patid, is made using gram flour.
In Meitei mythology and Meitei folklore of Manipur, Colocasia (Meitei : ꯄꯥꯟ [19] ) plants are mentioned. One notable example is the Meitei folktale of the Hanuba Hanubi Paan Thaaba ( Meitei for ' Old Man and Old Woman planting Colocasia ') [lower-alpha 1] ). In this lore, the old man and his wife, the old woman, were tricked by a group of monkeys to plant the Colocasia plants in an unusual way. [20] [21] [22] The old couple did according to how they were advised by the monkeys, peeling off the best tubers of the plants, then boiling them in a pot until softened and after cooling them off, wrapping them in banana leaves and burying them in the soils of the farmlands. [23] [24] In the dead of the night, the monkeys sneak into the farmlands and secretly relished all the well cooked plants. After their dinner, they (monkeys) planted some inedible giant wild Colocasia plants in places to where the old couple placed the cooked plant tubers. Early in the morning, when the old couple woke up, they were surprised to see the plants getting full grown up just after one day of getting the tubers planted. Unaware of the tricks of the monkeys, the old couple cooked and ate the inedible wild Colocasia plants. As a reaction of the wild plants, they suffered from the unbearable tingling sensation in their throats. [25] [26] [27]
In the Levant, Colocasia has been in use since the time of the Byzantine Empire. The leaves are shown in mosaics from Palestine as a platform, such as a plate or bowl, for serving of fruit to eat. For example, at the Kursi church mosaic.
Taro roots and leaves are rich in carbohydrates, protein, and dietary minerals. [28] Micronutrients include iron, copper, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. [29]
Colocasia leaves contain phytochemicals, such as anthraquinones, apigenin, catechins, cinnamic acid derivatives, vitexin, and isovitexin. [29]
Xanthosoma is a genus of flowering plants in the arum family, Araceae. The genus is native to tropical America but widely cultivated and naturalized in other tropical regions. Several are grown for their starchy corms, an important food staple of tropical regions, known variously as malanga, otoy, otoe, cocoyam, tannia, tannier, yautía, macabo, ocumo, macal, taioba, dasheen, quequisque, ʻape and as Singapore taro. Many other species, including especially Xanthosoma roseum, are used as ornamental plants; in popular horticultural literature these species may be known as ‘ape due to resemblance to the true Polynesian ʻape, Alocasia macrorrhizos, or as elephant ear from visual resemblance of the leaf to an elephant's ear. Sometimes the latter name is also applied to members in the closely related genera Caladium, Colocasia (taro), and Alocasia.
Taro is a root vegetable. It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, stems and petioles. Taro corms are a food staple in African, Oceanic, East Asian, Southeast Asian and South Asian cultures. Taro is believed to be one of the earliest cultivated plants.
Eddoe or eddo is a species in genus Colocasia, a tropical vegetable, closely related to taro, which is primarily used for its thickened stems (corms). In most cultivars there is an acrid taste that requires careful cooking. The young leaves can also be cooked and eaten, but they have a somewhat acrid taste.
Patrode/Patrodo/Patra/Patrodu is originally a vegetarian dish from India. It is also known as Rikvach in Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, Patrodé in Karnataka, Patra in Gujarat, Chembila Appam in Kerala, Alu Vadi in Maharashtra and Goa, Patrodu in Himachal Pradesh, Saina in Fiji, and Saheena in Trinidad and Tobago. It is a primary cuisine for the Konkani-speaking Gaud Saraswat Brahmin community (Patrodu). It is made from colocasia leaves stuffed with gram or rice flour and flavourings such as spices, tamarind, and jaggery.
Amorphophallus paeoniifolius, the elephant foot yam or whitespot giant arum, is a tropical plant native to Island Southeast Asia. It is cultivated for its edible tubers in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Madagascar, New Guinea, and the Pacific islands. Because of its production potential and popularity as a vegetable in various cuisines, it can be raised as a cash crop.
Dioscorea esculenta, commonly known as the lesser yam, is a yam species native to Island Southeast Asia and introduced to Near Oceania and East Africa by early Austronesian voyagers. It is grown for their edible tubers, though it has smaller tubers than the more widely-cultivated Dioscorea alata and is usually spiny.
Alocasia odora, also known as night-scented lily, Asian taro or giant upright elephant ear, is a species of flowering plant native to East and Southeast Asia. Traditionally, A. odora is sometime used as a medicine for the treatment of the common cold in Vietnam.
Xanthosoma sagittifolium, or tannia, is a tropical flowering plant from the family Araceae. It produces an edible, starchy corm. X. sagittifolium is native to tropical America where it has been first cultivated. Around the 19th century, the plant spread to Southeast Asia and Africa and has been cultivated there ever since. X. sagittifolium is often confused with the related plant Colocasia esculenta (Taro), which looks very similar and is also used in a similar way. Both plants are often collectively named Cocoyam.
A great variety of cassava-based dishes are consumed in the regions where cassava is cultivated. Manihot esculenta is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes.
Manipuri cuisine refers to the cuisine of Manipur, a state of northeastern India. Daily meals are based on rice, with a few side dishes of vegetables, fish and meat. A meal would usually have a vegetable stew called ensaang or athongba, flavored with dried or fried fish; stir-fried vegetables called kanghou; and a spicy item, which could be morok metpa, eromba, or singju. All piquant side dishes are accompanied by a choice of fresh herbs, collectively called maroi. The base and essence of Meitei cuisine is the fermented fish called ngari. Several dishes of meat, mostly chicken and pork, are cooked with unique recipes. As a result of religious taboos, however, the Meitei Pangals do not cook the latter.
Cyrtosperma merkusii or giant swamp taro, is a crop grown throughout Oceania and into South and Southeast Asia. It is a riverine and "swamp crop" similar to taro, but "with bigger leaves and larger, coarser roots." There are no demonstrably wild populations today, but it is believed to be native to Indonesia. It is known as puraka in Cook Islands, lak in Yap, babai in Kiribati, iaraj in the Marshall Islands, brak in Palau, babaʻ in the Marianas Islands, pula’a in Samoa, via kana, Pulaka in Lau, Lovo in Fiji, pulaka in Tokelau and Tuvalu, mwahng in Pohnpei, pasruk in Kosrae, simiden in Chuuk, swam taro in Papua New Guinea, navia in Vanuatu and palawan in the Philippines.
Leucocasia gigantea, also called the giant elephant ear or Indian taro, is a species of flowering plant. It is a 1.5–3 m tall aroid plant with a large, fibrous corm, producing at its apex a whorl of thick, green leaves. It is the sole species in genus Leucocasia.
Lūʻau, Luʻau, Laulau, Lū, Rourou, Rukau, Fāfā, Hāhā, and Palusami are all related dishes found throughout Polynesia based on the use of taro leaves as a primary ingredient. While taro generally is known as a root vegetable for its starchy corms, the leaves are consumed as well. The base recipe is vegetarian. Most often, coconut milk was added, and later meat or seafood. The texture of the dish range from a thick soup to a dense cake.
Yenakha Paotapi or Yenakha Paodabi Saijin Polibi, also known as the evil eavesdropper, is an old demoness. Stories often show her as an evil spirit. She lingers around the eaves of roofs in Meitei mythology and folklore of Ancient Kangleipak. She is described as the one who interferes everywhere. Legend says that she could not live with human beings. Instead, she lives like a dog or a jackal, sitting on graves. In some cases, she is depicted as a minor goddess in the Meitei religion.
The legend of Sandrembi and Chaisra or Sanarembi and Chaisra is a folktale of the Meitei ethnicity of Ancient Kangleipak. It is a story of the clash between two stepsisters, Sandrembi (Sanarembi), the elder, and Chaisra, the younger, born to the same father but different mothers. Sandrembi, the protagonist, is a young lady, living in forsaken environment and in dire circumstances that are changed into a remarkable fortune. She is portrayed as a person having the nature of God like mind.
The Hanuba Hanubi Paan Thaaba, also known as the Hanubi Hentak! Hanuba Hentak!, is a Meitei folktale of Ancient Kangleipak. It is about the story of an old man, an old woman and some monkeys.
Many pāmbīs play significant roles in the different elements of Meitei culture, including but not limited to Meitei cuisine, Meitei festivals, Meitei folklore, Meitei folktales, Meitei literature, Meitei mythology and Meitei religion (Sanamahism) of Kangleipak.
Animals have significant roles in different elements of Meitei culture, including but not limited to Meitei cuisine, Meitei dances, Meitei festivals, Meitei folklore, Meitei folktales, Meitei literature, Meitei mythology, Meitei religion, etc.
Houdong, sometimes spelled as Haudong, appears frequently in Meitei mythology and Meitei folktales of the Meitei folklore of Ancient Kangleipak.
pān ꯄꯥꯟ /pán/ n. a plant of a genus (Colocasia) of the araceae family. pāndum /pán.dum/ n. the fleshy, underground stem of this plant. Morph: pān‑dum [a plant of Colocasia genus...‑round].