Sato imo (“country potatoes”) Colocasia esculenta are also known as taro potatoes in many markets. They boast a creamy texture and a low Glycemic Index (unlike other potatoes with a high GI that cause peaks and crashes in blood-sugar readings). The tubers are thought to have originated in eastern India and have traveled east to Southeast Asia, China and Japan… and west to Egypt, West Africa and from there to the Americas.

Cultivated for their edible corms (tubers, or “potatoes”) and stalks (these are sold sun-dried as zuiki), the plant contains (toxic) calcium oxalate that must be treated before consumption. Detox methods include steaming, par-boiling, and/or soaking for at least 8 hours in an alum solution (yaki myōban sui). Instructions for this are included in this downloadable recipe: 

Country Potatoes with Chicken Sauce (Sato Imo no Tori An Kaké)