Starchy root with fine fibre — and it will irritate your hands raw.
Taro is a starchy root with a nutty flavour and unusually fine, easily digested starch granules. Raw taro contains calcium oxalate crystals that irritate skin and mouth, which is why it must be cooked.
Root vegetables carry more carbohydrate than leaves or gourds, which
is why they satisfy and why portion matters more if you are watching blood sugar. Most of the
fibre sits in or just under the skin.
Per 100g raw.
Based on the nutrients and fibre this food supplies. These are supporting foods, not treatments.
Wear gloves or oil your hands when peeling raw taro — the oxalate crystals cause itching.
Cook it thoroughly. Heat destroys the irritant compounds.
Scrub rather than peel where you can. Much of the
fibre and many minerals sit just under the skin.
Roasting beats boiling
for flavour and keeps water-soluble vitamins in the vegetable rather than the pan.
Roots store energy for the plant, which is why they carry more carbohydrate than other
vegetables. The useful distinction is between starch and inulin: starchy roots like potato and
cassava raise blood glucose, while inulin-storing roots like jerusalem artichoke and jicama
largely do not, because humans cannot digest inulin.
Inulin instead reaches the colon
intact and feeds gut bacteria. That is why those roots are excellent prebiotics and why they
produce so much gas.
Never eat taro raw. The calcium oxalate crystals irritate the mouth and throat. Cook thoroughly.
Kidney disease: potassium may need limiting. Ask your doctor for your
numbers.
IBS: several vegetables are high-FODMAP and commonly trigger
symptoms — tolerance is personal.
This is information, not a prescription. If you are managing a diagnosed condition or taking medication, talk to your doctor before making a large change to your diet.
Nutrition figures on this page come from standard food composition data. These links let you check the numbers and read the underlying research yourself rather than taking our word for it.