Edible Plants Of The Philippines Planted In The U.S (zone 6) -- Colocasia Esculenta

The Philippines is composed of several islands with more mountains and hills than flat lands suitable for
 raising livestock such as cattle.  For this reason the Filipino people rely heavily on greens and root crops for food.  Root crops and vegetables are eaten along with rice, fish, meat.  I don't remember eating a meal without lots of cooked green vegetables.  This post is the beginning of other

posts that will follow discussing the edible plants that are found in the Philippines.  Some of these plants are endemic to the Philippines but lots of them are found in most tropical regions of the world.  The photo above is Colocasia esculenta (Taro).  Both roots and leaves are eaten in the Philippines.  I bought a Taro root from Asian grocery store and planted it in a pot.  It was welting so bad because I was not able to water it everyday so I set it on the edge of the lake and it thrived better.

Taro or Gabi (Colocasia esculenta).

This plant is very common in the Philippines.  It can be found growing in wetlands of the Philippines.  In the U.S. it can be grown also as an annual.  The leaves and roots can be harvested for food before the onset of cold weather.  It is very important to differentiate the edible specie from the not-edible ones, because the edible and not so edibles ones look so much alike.  Before deciding to consume have it identified by reliable people who have actually consumed this plant in the past.  The roots, leaves and stems are all edible after cooking well but all parts of the plant are toxic if eaten raw due to calcium oxalate crystals in all parts of the plant.  I have tasted it raw as a precocious child and believe me, it did not even take a minute to feel the itchy stinging sensation in my mouth.  Cooking destroys the crystals and it is then safe to eat.

I understand that some specie of these plants are growing rampant in Florida but search on the net reveals that they may not be the same specie as the one shown on this photo. I miss a vegetable dish called "Pinangat" or "Bicol Express".  This dish is made out of Gabi leaves, coconut milk and fish or meat.  I decided to try cooking some of the leaves of this Taro I've grown in the pot just the way I remember it done in the Philippines, but I was very cautious and decided in advance to make sure I taste just a little bit before consuming a mouthful and sure enough, I had a bad reaction in my mouth after tasting half a teaspoon of the sauce from the vegetable.  I felt my tounge drying up and felt that I can't swallow.  So there goes the dish!  I threw it in the garbage!

I don't know whether I was just so apprehensive about eating the wrong kind of Colocasia or I just had an allergic reaction to it.  Can soil and environment turn an edible plant to a poisonous one?  I had several friends identify the plant via photo and they all said it was edible.  Anyway, I'm glad I decided to taste it before eating large amount.  Who knows what it would have done me?  I probably end up in ER.  The root is supposed to be edible but I'm afraid to try cooking the root now because of what happened.

I will just have to be happy using it as an ornamental plant.  It looks nice especially looking at its reflection on the water.