Eddoe

Eddoe
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Alismatales
Family:	Araceae
Genus:	Colocasia
Species:	C. antiquorum
Binomial name
Colocasia antiquorum Schott
Synonyms
Colocasia fontanesiiSchott Colocasia gaoligongensisH.Li & C.L.Long Colocasia gongiiC.L.Long & H.Li Colocasia lihengiaeC.L.Long & K.M.Liu Caladium antiquorum(Schott) André

Eddoeoreddo(Colocasia antiquorum) is aspeciesingenusColocasia,a tropical vegetable, closely related totaro(dasheen,Colocasia esculenta), which is primarily used for its thickened stems (corms).In most cultivars there is an acrid taste that requires careful cooking.The young leaves can also be cooked and eaten, but (unlike taro) they have a somewhat acrid taste.

Taxonomy

Linnaeusoriginally described two species which are now known asColocasia esculentaandColocasia antiquorumof the cultivated plants that are known by many names including eddoes, dasheen, taro, but many later botanists consider them all to be members of a single, very variable species, the correct name for which isColocasia esculenta.

Etymology

The English wordeddomay have its origin inAkan,from a form cognate withTwio¹de³"yam"; orFanteo¹do³.

Alternatively, it may originate in theIgbo language,specifically from the wordédèmeaning 'taro' (cocoyam). This hypothesis would be coherent with the significant historicalpresence of the Igbo people in Jamaica,who have had a considerable influence on the local culture and language.

Cultivation

Eddoes appear to have been developed as a crop inChinaandJapanand introduced from there to theWest Indieswhere they are sometimes called "Chinese eddoes".They grow best in rich loam soil with good drainage, but they can be grown in poorer soil, in drier climates, and in cooler temperatures than taro.

Eddoes are also sometimes calledmalangasin Spanish-speaking areas, but that name is also used for other plants of the familyAraceae,including tannia (Xanthosomaspp.).Yautiasis a more specific term.

Eddoes make part of the generic classificationcaráorinhameof thePortuguese languagewhich, beside taro, also includesroot vegetablesof the generaAlocasiaandDioscorea.They are the most commonly eateninhames/carásin the states ofSão Paulo,Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo, as well as surrounding regions of all.They are also fairly common in Northeastern Brazil, where they might be calledbatata(literally "potato" ), but less so than true yams of the genusColocasia.According to Brazilian folk knowledge, the eddoes most appropriate to be cooked are those that are more deeply pink, or at least pinkish lavender, in the area where the leaves were cut.

The 1889 bookThe Useful Native Plants of Australiarecords thatC. antiquorum:

is cultivated in most tropical countries, Egypt, India, etc., for the sake of its leaves, which when uncooked are acrid, but on boiling, the water being changed, they lose their acridity, and may be eaten as spinach. "(Treasury of Botany) Acid fruits are added to assist the removal of the acridity. Hindoos [sic.] and Mahometans [sic.] are very fond of all parts of the plants of this genus." (Dymock.) "When the crop is gathered in Fiji," says Dr. Seemann (Flora Vtliensis), "the tops of the tubers are cut off and at once replanted. The young leaves may be eaten like spinach, but, like the root, they require to be well cooked in order to destroy the acridity peculiar to aroideous plants. The Fi gian s prefer eating the cooked Taro when cold; Europeans as a rule like it quite hot, and, if possible, roasted. A considerable number of varieties are known, some better adapted for puddings, some for bread, or simply for boiling or baking. The outer marks of distinction chiefly rest upon the different tinge observable in the corm, leaf, stalks, and ribs of the leaves - white, yellowish, purple."

See also

• Domesticated plants and animals of Austronesia