Basic Use and Preparation

Taro, which must always be cooked, is used in both sweet and savory foods. It can be coarsely grated and fashioned into crisp fritters, finely grated and mixed with vegetables or fish to make croquettes, cooked and puréed or riced for a sweet dessert filling, cooked and mashed like potatoes, cooked and sliced and served as a side dish, or sliced and added to soups or stews. Taro can also be sliced paper-thin on a mandoline and the slices deep-fried for chips. Poi, a Polynesian staple, is cooked taro mashed to a paste and allowed to ferment.