Taro Root or Taro is one of the earliest known cultivated vegetables. There are recordings of use from Greek and Roman writers that located the root in ancient Egypt around 23 BC (Schweitzer, 2006). Taro is now used in over forty countries and is cultivated similar to rice in a semi-aquatic crop or in areas where it can thrive with rainfall (Taro Root, 2015). The taro itself is potato-like and can be cooked using the same application such as boiling, frying and baking. The taro has a brown fibrous skin, edible leaves and a gray, white and sometimes purple flesh. A variety of Taro called Dasheen has been grown in the southern United States since the early 1900s (Network, 2015). In Africa and Polynesia, taro is still the main starch in meals. It was a main starch in Japan before rice became preferred. Taro still plays in an important role in Hawaiian culture and is still, in some regions, a dietary staple. …show more content…
According to legend, Wakea, Father of the sky, had an affair with his daughter. Wakea’s daughter became pregnant and birthed a stillborn baby. That child was buried and grew into a taro plant that was named Haloanaka, meaning long stalk trembling. Wakea eventually had a second affair with his daughter. That affair resulted in a second son they named Haloa, after his older brother. All Hawaiians are decedents of Haloa. Therefore many consider themselves directly related to Taro (Taro,