On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 594

into and tinge the cream-colored flesh Taro retains its shape when simmered, and it becomes waxy on cooling It has a pronounced aroma that reminds some of chestnuts, others of egg yolk In Hawaii taro is boiled, mashed, and fermented into poi, one element in the luau (p 295) Taro is sometimes confused with malanga, yautia, and cocoyam, tubers of a number of New World tropical species in the genus Xanthosoma, which are also arums protected by oxalate crystals Malanga grows in drier soils than taro, is more elongated, has an earthier flavor, and more readily falls apart when simmered in soups and stews Yam True yams are starchy tubers of tropical plants that are related to the grasses and lilies, a dozen or so cultivated species of Dioscorea from Africa, South America, and the Pacific with varying sizes, textures, colors, and flavors They are seldom seen in mainstream American markets, where “yam” means a sugary orange sweet potato (p 304) True yams can grow to 100 lb/50 kg and more, and in the Pacific islands have been honored with their own little houses They appear to have been cultivated as early as 8000 BCE in Asia Many yams contain oxalate crystals just under the skin, as well as soap-like saponins, which give a slippery, frothy quality to their juices Some varieties contain a toxic alkaloid called dioscorine that must be removed by grating and leaching in water Yam tubers help their plants survive drought, and they have a longer pantry life than cassava or taro The Carrot Family: Carrots, Parsnips, and Others Root vegetables in the carrot family share the family habit of containing distinctive aromatic molecules, so they’re often used to lend complexity to stocks, stews, soups, and other preparations Carrots and parsnips ... Root vegetables in the carrot family share the family habit of containing distinctive aromatic molecules, so they’re often used to lend complexity to stocks, stews, soups, and other preparations Carrots and parsnips... removed by grating and leaching in water Yam tubers help their plants survive drought, and they have a longer pantry life than cassava or taro The Carrot Family: Carrots, Parsnips, and Others Root vegetables in the carrot family share the. .. means a sugary orange sweet potato (p 304) True yams can grow to 100 lb/50 kg and more, and in the Pacific islands have been honored with their own little houses They appear to have been cultivated