Food: Dalo – hairy cousin of potato

I was recently interviewed for a Taiwanese TV series about the resilience of taro around the globe in the 21st century.

The interviewer came from a dalo farming family and she was surprised to learn that Pacific Islanders use the entire plant, not just the tubular root.

When I asked what do the Taiwanese people do with the leaf and stem, she replied “we throw it away!” As a Chinese kid growing up in Australia, I’d never heard of eating taro leaves as palusami or the stems as baseisei in coconut
milk.

Except for Indian dishes, most Asian cuisine rarely uses the leaves.

As I explained to the Taiwanese audience, Pacific Islanders use dalo not only for food but also for medicine for all sorts of ailments. It was at this point in the interview that I was reminded that even in dalo, native Pacific Island foods have been critical in helping sustain ancient civilizations for thousands of years.

Back in the day, food was also their medicine.

Dalo is not indigenous to Fiji

In 2020, Fiji was the 3rd biggest exporter of dalo, behind Ecuador and China, yet it is not indigenous to the Pacific Islands.

The taro plant actually originated in India and then spread east to Myanmar and China, and then was taken south to Indonesia according to a South Pacific Community publication.

It was then introduced to Papua New Guinea about 5000 BCE, then to the rest of Melanesia and Polynesia in about 700AD.

Its Indian origins help explain why rourou (taro) leaves are used in saina, the taro leaf roll.

Taro leaves are extremely popular in India.

The mature leaves are used to make a snack while the tender leaves are cooked into a curry in Maharashtra,
Goa, Karnataka, and the other three Southern States of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh.

This vegetable is especially popular in Indian wedding and pooja menus as well as being relished on vegetarian days.

Voyage by canoe

When Fiji’s distant ancestors decided to leave their South Asia homelands to discover new lands, they took with them plants they knew would help them survive in even the harshest environment.

Known to the Polynesian Hawaiians as the “canoe plants”, these carefully selected staple vegetables, fruits and medicinal roots had sustained their people for thousands of years and would be key to their survival as they ventured out on humankind’s final colonization of the Southern hemisphere land masses.

Amongst the plants they took with them were sugarcane, bamboo, coconut, yams, breadfruit, noni, layalaya, yaqona and taro, yet it was taro that would become a major part of the Pacific Island’s heritage and story of legends.

Health benefits

Like all superfoods, taro leaves have a wide range of health benefits that have long been forgotten.

The ancient civilizations who ate the leaves probably did not understand why they were so healthy; they only knew it helped keep them alive.

With access to the internet, we can now learn why superfoods like taro leaves are so beneficial to our health.

They are high in antioxidants; help boost your immune system and are good for digestion.

The leaves are said to naturally reduce cholesterol and inflammation and help control blood pressure.

They are good for your eyes too.

Taro leaves are also high in potassium, a crucial mineral that helps sustain the body’s fluid as well as electrolyte balance.

And if old-age wrinkles worry you, taro leaves have a high content of an amino acid known as threonine, which apparently supports formation of collagen and elastin which are crucial for healthy skin.

Tips to reduce itchiness

Taro has had more than 10,000 years to develop a defence against begin eaten, and it works very well.

The itchiness experienced comes partly from microscopic shards along the leaf but also a chemical inside the leaf that makes it impossible to eat raw.

The tiny needles can be seen when you hold the leaf up to light and you will see them shine like sparkling light, and the bigger and older the rourou leaf, the bigger the needles.

To reduce the chance of itchiness, rourou leaves need to be cooked for at least 45 minutes to dissolve the needles and kill any toxins.

I was always taught to cook the leaves uncovered too, as it allows the dissolved shards and chemicals to evaporate in the air as steam.

This is another reason why after boiling rourou in water, many people strain and rinse the cooked leaves again before adding them t coconut milk.

Choosing the young baby leaves will ensure the needle-like shards will be small but boiling them for at least 45 minutes will help dissolve them.

This critical step in preparing rourou leaves will ensure that you get the health benefits of this ancient superfood – without the itch.

Most people have their own way of cooking dalo, its stems and leaves so today I thought I’d share some different ways that other countries eat this most ancient of staple crops, from snacks, side dishes to desserts.

Even in the face of growing climate change and rising sea levels, dalo remains a resilient staple crop that will continue to sustain Pacific Islanders as both food and medicine.

Recipe

Hawaiian kalo in hot coconut milk

• 0.5 kg taro, peeled and cubed into 1-inch pieces
• 1 can coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. In a medium pot, steam (or boil) the taro (kalo) until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain out the water and place the taro back into the same pot.
2. Turn the heat to low and pour in the can of coconut milk.
3. Gently mix and then place the lid on the pot. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add sugar and salt. Stir to dissolve.
5. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Spoon into individual dessert bowls and serve hot.

Chinese steamed pork & wtaro in black bean sauce

Fermented black beans are soft and can be found in Chinese shops. Alternatively, you could use black bean sauce on most supermarket shelves.

• 0.5kg pork ribs, cut lengthwise across each rib bone into 1 inch segments
• 0.5kg taro root (about 1 large)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon dried fermented black beans, mashed in a mortar and pestle
• 2 thinly sliced bongo chilli
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce or light soy sauce
• 4 cloves minced garlic

1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine cubes of pork rib with mashed black beans, garlic, and salt, mixing to evenly distribute. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
2. Prepare your steamer and bring water underneath steamer to a boil.
3. In a medium-sized stainless steel bowl, combine the marinated ribs, along with juices in the bowl and black beans and garlic, with the cubes of taro.
4. Place the bowl in steamer and steam over high heat for 45 minutes until cubes of pork and taro are tender. Garnish with slices of chilli and soy sauce or fish sauce to taste, about one tablespoon of either. Serve immediately with rice.

Palauan taro cakes

• 1kg taro root
• 1 onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• 4 tablespoons oil

1. Peel the taro and grate into a bowl.
2. In the same bowl, grate the onion. Add salt and pepper. Mix well.
3. Form fairly flat patties about 4 to 5 inches (8-10cm) in diameter, squeezing the excess liquid.
4. Heat pan with oil at medium-high heat.
5. Fry the taro cake about 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Place on a plate covered with paper towels.
6. Repeat until there is no more taro mixture.
7. Serve hot.

• Lance Seeto is the chef/owner of Nadi’s premiere fusion gastropub, Kanu Restaurant.