taros
Starchy Pacific tubers
Taros is the plural of taro, a tropical plant cultivated for its starchy, edible root.
The corm is a staple food across Pacific Island cultures, Southeast Asia, and parts of Africa and the Caribbean.
Poi, the Hawaiian staple, is made from mashed taro.
The leaves are also eaten when cooked.
Different taros vary in texture and flavor.
Mashed taro root
- luauTraditional island celebration
- chipsThin fried slices
- boiledHeated until bubbling
- steamedHeated by vapor
fried · roasted · leaves · stems · culinary · cuisine · staple · starch
Bulblike underground stem base
- tuberUnderground nutrient reservoir
- rhizomeHorizontal underground plant stem
- leavesTree's photosynthetic organs
- petiolesStalks attaching leaf blades
perennial · tropical · underground · storage · vegetative · roots · fibrous · aquatic
From the 50th state
- PolynesianOf Pacific island peoples
- sacredWorthy of reverence
- ancestryFamily line of descent
- creationMaking something exist
mythology · offerings · ceremonies · mana · spiritual · traditions · legends · folklore
Cultivating land for food
- plantingPlacing seeds in earth
- harvestingGathering mature crops
- irrigationArtificial water supply for agriculture
- wetlandWaterlogged land ecosystem
paddy · propagation · corms · dryland · flooded · crop · horticulture · soil
Earth's vastest ocean
- islandsLand surrounded by water
- HawaiiPacific island state
- FijiPacific island republic
- SamoaSouth Pacific island nation
Tonga · Philippines · Caribbean · humid · rainforest · wetlands · climate · indigenous
poi
Mashed taro root
steamed · fried · roasted · leaves · stems · culinary · cuisine · staple · starch · side-dish
corm
Bulblike underground stem base
- tuberUnderground nutrient reservoir
- rhizomeHorizontal underground plant stem
- leavesTree's photosynthetic organs
petioles · perennial · tropical · underground · storage · vegetative · roots · fibrous · aquatic · herbaceous
Hawaiian
From the 50th state
- PolynesianOf Pacific island peoples
- sacredWorthy of reverence
- ancestryFamily line of descent
creation · mythology · offerings · ceremonies · mana · spiritual · traditions · legends · folklore · rituals
farming
Cultivating land for food
- plantingPlacing seeds in earth
- harvestingGathering mature crops
- irrigationArtificial water supply for agriculture
wetland · paddy · propagation · corms · dryland · flooded · crop · horticulture · soil · fertilizer
Pacific
Earth's vastest ocean
Samoa · Tonga · Philippines · Caribbean · humid · rainforest · wetlands · climate · indigenous · native
- tarot readerOne who divines through cards
- tarot cardsIllustrated fortune-telling deck
- tarot readingFortune-telling via symbolic cards
- tarot decksIllustrated cards for readings
- taro chipsFried tropical tuber slices
- taro milk teaBeverage from starchy tuber