MANILA, Philippines - Taro, or gabi in the Pilipino, was once one of the most edible root crops in the world because it is loaded with essential nutrients and vitamins, but this starchy tuber has faded from the grocery list of modern Filipino consumers, who are unaware of the healthy benefits of the crop.
Scientifically known as Colocasia esculenta, taro is a tropical plant grown all over the Philippines and can be found in numerous countries such as Hawaii, the United States, Polynesia, China and Taiwan. It is closely related to cassava (Manihot esculenta), another nutritious root crop that is abundant in the Philippines. Taro’s corm or underground stems as well as leaves or petioles are edible.
Taro’s boiled corm and cooked petioles provide numerous health benefits. This is because taro is a good source of dietary fiber, vitamins B, C, and E, iron, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, thiamine, riboflavin, and folate. It has low content of saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium.
The root crop has been prescribed in the past as effective in combating malnutrition and indigestion. It was also known as an effective treatment to ulcers, eczema, diarrhea, asthma and bronchial ailments. Its stem is applied topically to heal burns, boils, skin rashes, insect bites, and even wounds.
In the Philippines, a dish called laing has as its main ingredients taro stem and petioles that are cooked in coconut milk, salted with fermented shrimp and spiced with red hot chilis. Ginataan, a popular Filipino dessert, uses coconut milk and taro that are mixed with tropical fruits.
Aside from being a main source of nutrients, taro is used as herbal medicine. The juice of its petioles is used for earache, otorrhea, internal hemorrhages, otalgia, and adenitis. Meanwhile, the juice of its corm is a good laxative and acts as an antidote for wasp and insect stings. Heated, the taro corm can ease painful rheumatic joints.
One company is making available to the mass market the healthy benefits of taro, which is relatively unknown among the young generation of urbanites today.
Kuai Ke Li Enterprise Co. Ltd. A Taiwanese company founded by Nancy Yang in 1996, uses taro in its wide array of delicious drinks and desserts under the Quickly brand.
The Quickly brand now has more than 1,000 franchise outlets in the US, Canada, and Asia. It was launched in the Philippines in 2000 and is currently marketed by 50 outlets nationwide, including those in major malls such as SM Mall of Asia, Robinson’s, Festival Mall, Alabang Town Center, and Shangri La Plaza.
For more information about taro, visit www.quickly.com.