Taro has a sweet and pungent taste, neutral nature, and mild toxicity. It enters the Intestine and Stomach meridians. Its benefits include nourishing the stomach, promoting bowel movements, detoxifying, strengthening the liver and kidneys, reducing swelling and pain, fortifying the spleen, dispersing nodules, regulating qi, resolving phlegm, and enriching essence and marrow. Taro truly is an excellent choice for nourishing health in autumn and winter—a must-have vegetable for winter wellness.Just how nourishing is taro? No time to talk—hurry and buy some before they sell out! First, let's explore some delicious ways to enjoy taro!
Delicious Taro Recipes
1. Scallion Taro Stew
Ingredients: Taro, salt, scallions, water, sugar, vegetable oil.
Method:
1. Wash taro with skin on. Place in pot, cover with water, bring to boil, then simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes until fork-tender.
2. Cool cooked taro in cold water, peel, and cut larger pieces into chunks.Finely chop scallions and set aside. 3. Heat wok over high heat. Add two tablespoons vegetable oil and stir-fry scallion whites until fragrant. 4. Add taro and stir-fry. 5. Pour in water, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil. 6. Cover and simmer over low heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. 7.Finally, when the sauce thickens slightly, sprinkle in the green parts of the scallions, stir-fry briefly, then remove from heat.
2. Taro and Pork Rib Stew
Ingredients: 300g pork ribs, 400g taro, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp cooking wine,1/2 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, pinch of pepper.
Method
1. Rinse pork ribs, mix with Seasoning 1, marinate 10 minutes, then deep-fry in hot oil until browned. Remove.
2. Peel taro, cut into small chunks, deep-fry in hot oil until crisp, then drain.
3. Sauté garlic cloves in 2 tbsp oil until fragrant, add pork ribs, then add Seasoning 2.
2. Peel and dice the taro, then deep-fry in hot oil until crisp. Remove and drain.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok. Sauté garlic until fragrant. Add pork ribs, Seasoning 2, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Add the taro and simmer together for about 20 minutes until tender and the sauce has thickened slightly. Serve.
3. Candied Taro
Ingredients: 1/3 large taro, 4 tablespoons white sugar, about 5 tablespoons water, cooking oil as needed.
Method
1. Peel the taro and cut into strips slightly thinner than your pinky finger.
2. Heat cooking oil in a wok until moderately hot (about 60% heat). Fry the taro strips over low heat for about 3 minutes, then remove and let cool slightly. Return to the wok over medium heat and fry for another minute to achieve a golden color.
3. Heat a separate wok over high heat. Add water and white sugar, stirring constantly until dissolved into a syrup. Add the fried taro strips and toss until evenly coated with the syrup. Remove from heat immediately.
4. Taro Braised Chicken
Ingredients: Chicken, taro.
Method
1. Cut chicken into pieces and rinse. Peel small taro, halve, and soak in water.
2. Place chicken in a pot with water. Skim off scum, then remove and set aside. Heat oil in the pot. Add scallion sections, ginger slices, crushed garlic cloves, and star anise. Stir-fry until fragrant.Add the blanched chicken pieces and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Pour in cooking wine and dark soy sauce for color.
3. Pour in boiling water to cover the chicken. Cover the pot and simmer over medium-low heat for 30 minutes. When the broth has reduced by half, add 2 tablespoons sugar and salt to taste. Add the taro pieces and simmer for another 15 minutes.
4. Turn up the heat to reduce the sauce. Finally, sprinkle with chopped scallions.
5. Shrimp and Taro Hot Pot
Ingredients: Shrimp, taro, corn kernels, cilantro, rice wine, ginger, salt, egg white.
Method
1. Peel shrimp and remove intestinal tract. Marinate briefly with rice wine, salt, and egg white.
4. Transfer corn kernels, taro, and ginger slices to a clay pot. Pour in rice wine and enough cold water to cover the taro chunks. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to low and simmer.
5. After about 20 minutes, when the taro is tender, add salt. Increase heat to medium, add shrimp, and bring to a boil. Garnish with cilantro leaves before serving.
Nutritional Benefits
Taro is rich in protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, magnesium, sodium, carotene, niacin, vitamin C, B vitamins, saponins, and other nutrients.
1. Detoxification and Swelling Reduction
Taro contains mucoprotein, which, when absorbed by the body, produces immunoglobulin (antibody globulin) to enhance resistance.
2. Balancing Acid-Alkaline Levels
As an alkaline food, taro neutralizes accumulated acidic substances in the body, regulating acid-alkaline balance. This promotes a fair complexion and lustrous hair while also preventing and treating hyperacidity.
3. Strengthens Vital Energy
Rich in mucilage saponins and trace elements, taro corrects physiological abnormalities caused by mineral deficiencies while boosting appetite and aiding digestion. It is considered to fortify the body's core energy.
4. Teeth Cleaning and Cavity Prevention
Taro contains relatively high levels of fluoride among its minerals, which helps clean teeth, prevent cavities, and protect dental health.
5 Beautifying Skin and Darkening Hair
As an alkaline food, taro neutralizes accumulated acidic substances in the body, balancing acid-alkaline levels. This promotes skin health, darkens hair, and helps prevent excessive stomach acid.
Reminder
Taro thrives in warmth and dislikes cold, being intolerant of low temperatures. Therefore, it is not recommended to store taro in the refrigerator; instead, keep it in a warm, well-ventilated place.
The mucilage in taro contains complex compounds that break down when heated. While these substances have therapeutic benefits for the body, they strongly irritate skin and mucous membranes. This causes itching on hands when peeling or washing taro. Roasting the hands briefly over fire can alleviate this irritation, so wearing gloves during preparation is advisable.
It is recommended to thoroughly cook taro before consumption, as undercooking may cause digestive issues such as bloating and indigestion.
Cooking Guidelines
1. Taro can be steamed as a staple food and eaten with sugar, or used to make dishes and desserts, making it a popular root vegetable;
2. Taro must be thoroughly cooked during preparation, otherwise its mucilage will irritate the throat;
3.The mucilage contains complex compounds that break down when heated. While these compounds have therapeutic effects on the body, they strongly irritate skin and mucous membranes. Peeling and washing taro can cause skin itching, which can be alleviated by briefly roasting the hands over fire. Therefore, wearing gloves while handling taro is recommended.