Edible Aroids (sorted by common name)

The following food items found in ethnic grocery stores (and some supermarkets) are aroids.  These sell for far less than the mail order and garden center tubers. With the help of members of the Aroid listserver (especially Julius Boos), the plant names are now being compiled.  If you have any additions or corrections, please contact me by clicking here (if your email server is so configured) or type in my email address (lkallus@earthlink.net).

Click here to see this list sorted by scientific name

Click here to see this list sorted by nationality 

Common Name Scientific Name Nationality
Ape (Ah-pay) Xanthosoma sagittifolia Hawaii (perhaps Tonga & Samoa)
Anyamanya cocoyam Colocasia esculenta Nigeria
Arvi Colocasia esculenta India
Colocasia e. antiquorum Indian groceries in West Palm Beach, Florida
Calaloo bush Colocasia esculenta leaves Caribbean Islands (English Speaking)
Camacho Colocasia esculenta Ecuador, Columbia
Cara Colocosia esculenta Brazil
Dasheen Colocasia esculenta Caribbean Islands (English speaking)
Eddoes Colocasia e. antiquorum Caribbean Islands (English speaking)
Inhame Colocasia esculenta Brazil
Inhame roxo Xanthosoma violaceum Brazil
Keladi Colocasia esculenta S.E. Asia
Malanga amarilla Xanthosoma atrovirens Cuba and parts of Spanish Caribbean
Malanga blanca Xanthosoma sagittifolia Cuba
Malanga cabeza Colocasia esculenta Cuba
Malanga islena Colocasia esculenta Cuba
Malanga lila Xanthosoma violaceum Cuba
Mangarito Xanthosoma maffaffa Brazil
New cocoyams Xanthosoma sagittifolia West Africa
Old Cocoyam Colocasia esculenta West Africa
Colocasia e. antiquorum West Africa
Papa China Colocasia e. antiquorum Ecuador, possibly Columbia
Red coco Xanthosoma violaceum Jamaica
Slippery dips Colocasia e. antiquorum Barbados, West Indies
Suran Amorphophallus paeoniifolius India (found canned in West Palm Beach Indian grocer)
Taioba Xanthosoma sagittifolia leaves Brazil
Taioba roxa Xanthosoma violaceum Brazil
Talas Colocasia esculenta S.E. Asia
Tanier Xanthosoma sagittifolia Caribbean Islands (English speaking)
Tannia Xanthosoma sagittifolia Caribbean Islands (English speaking)
Taro Colocasia esculenta Hawaii
Taro Root Colocasia e. antiquorum Florida & some other states
Yautia amarilla Xanthosoma atrovirens Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic
Yautia blanca Xanthosoma sagittifolia Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic
Yautia lila Xanthosoma violaceum Puerto Rico and the Dominical Republic

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