Taro cakes with shiitakes,ham, and scallions
Cakes
Once you've tasted taro, there's no going back! It resembles and has the texture of a potato but it has an inherent sweetness and nuttiness that really rivals( or exceeds!) the wonderful flavors of potato. Once you've found a source for purple taro, the hard part is over. (Most Chinese, Korean and Spanish markets) It is very easy to work with, just like potato, and it doesn't turn brown after being cut. <br /> <br />I fell in love with taro through dim sum many years ago. The taro dimsum I most love is shrimp patties coated with the taro equivalent of potato stix, and fried. The crunchy nuttiness of that coating is addictive! So I knew I wanted to play with that element. I also wanted to showcase the unique sweet nutty taro flavor of creamy mashed taro, without herbs or spices. So I added some shiitakes and ham and scallion to the mashed taro and coated the pancakes with 'taro stix'. These taro pancakes would make an excellent side dish for grilled fish, pork or poultry entrees. <br /> <br />It is fascinating how many cuisines use taro. In Hawaii it is the famous staple, Poi. While it is mostly used in Pacific Island and South East Asian countries,I even found recipes for it in Irani cuisine! For those gardeners out there, taro is the tuber of plants in the 'Elephant Ears' family, Colocasia, and its leaves are also delicious. Taro root is only edible after being cooked. It lasts a long time when refrigerated. <br /> <br />
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