Colocassia

Colocassia Also Known asTaro, Dasheen, Kalo.Botanically speaking, the taro "root" is really a corm, a thickened, underground stem of certain plants, resembling bulbs. The smaller taro, or eddo, is popular in Caribbean and West African cooking, but wearing gloves when peeling is a necessity as it can irritate the skin. Cultivated varieties are usually the size very large potatoes, roughly top-shaped, and circled all over the surface with rough ridges. There are many lumps and spindly projecting roots. The skin is brown; but inside the flesh may be white, pink, or purple. Taro root is however very similar to, a potato. It does, however, have a hairy outer coating on its surface that is similar to the coating on a coconut. Because of this, when preparing to use a taro root, the root's outer skin must first be removed. This procedure is easy to do. However, some individuals can acquire a skin irritation towards the juices that are secreted by the taro root as its skin is being removed. Therefore, to be on the safe side, when peeling a taro root's skin, use protective rubber gloves. Additionally, because taro root can be toxic in its raw state, always cook it before using.