Taro and I
Taro and sticky rice pudding with coconut milk
If you don’t like taro, I don’t know if we can be friends.
I used to be aghast when people asked me what taro was. It’s a root, like potato, you know? Then slowly I realized that I was the obnoxious one for not realizing that not everyone is Vietnamese. But when you grew up with something so abundant, don’t you get the feeling that everyone else must have grown up with it too? Next time someone says “What, you haven’t seen Star Trek?!”, I’m gonna ask “have you eaten taro?”. (Just my luck, they’d say yes and I’d have to go to Blockbusters. :D)
To be fair, Vietnam is not the only country that has taro in its kitchens, the roots are also in China, India, Korea, Japan, Cameroon, you name it. But to this Vietnamese taro-fan, it’s Vietnamese heart and soul. It’s not recognized everywhere, but its growth spreads everywhere. It adapts easily in both sweet and savory dishes. Its sweetness lies somewhere between the red sweet potato and the usual potato. It’s nutty like boiled peanuts in some parts, dense and moist like cassava in others.
It’s not pretty (are roots ever pretty?). It’s hairy, brown, with several nodes and spots. It can cause a slight itch if washed with bare hands. Most small taros are just a tad bigger than a chicken egg. The only thing I know how to do with them is to boil them, like eggs, for roughly 30 minutes (from cold water). Then I peel them while they’re still warm, dip them into sugar, and savor their nuttiness.
Magnolia's taro ice cream from 99 Ranch Market
Actually, the taro here doesn’t taste that great. It’s too bland, too mushy, too dense, and it barely tastes like taro. Back home, Little Mom used to make taro soup (canh khoai môn): chunky slices of taro, chopped green onion, pork, dried shrimp (tôm khô), water, salt and sugar to taste. There might have been a teaspoon or two of fish sauce and fish sauce to taste. It’s my favorite canh, and my grandfather’s too. But Little Mom doesn’t make it anymore because 1. she doesn’t like taro in its root form, and 2. she doesn’t like taro in the States.
She does like taro as a flavor in sweets, though. Once a week, we used to get a half-kilo tub of Wall’s taro ice cream, its soft lavender color was as sweet and alluring as its taste. How I long for the day when Häagen-Dazs churns out the magic purple so that I don’t have to settle with the ink-dyed Magnolia’s or wait at the mercy of Yogurt Land‘s customers. Apparently, taro frozen yogurt tops the worst-seller list in downtown Berkeley and only gets served when the other flavors are out. And I thought Berkeleyans were the adventurous type. FYI, taro pairs best with coconut.
When taro is added into plain things, like yogurt, it adds flavors. When it’s added into sweet things, like mooncake and pudding (chè), it moderates the sugar and adds texture. Bánh bía khoai môn (Suzhou mooncake with taro filling) is less sweet than its common mung bean counterpart (bánh bía đậu xanh). Chè khoai môn (taro in sticky rice pudding) is a harmonious mix of chunky and soft, of nutty and chewy, of plain, salty and sweet.
Through the internet grapevines, I’ve also heard of bánh da lợn khoai môn (taro pig-skin pie), bánh đúc khoai môn (taro rice jelly cake) with meat and dried shrimp, fried rice with taro, taro hushpuppies dipped into sweet and sour fish sauce. But if I ever get a real kitchen, the first thing I make with taro will be a bowl of soft, milky steamed taro cake (bánh khoai môn hấp), and I’ll get a cuppa taro bubble tea to complete my love.
Will they make taro milk one day?
More taro-ness: Taiwanese taro pastry
This post is submitted to Delicious Vietnam #15, July edition, hosted by Lan from Angry Asian Creations.
Steamed taro cake from Alpha Bakery & Deli
Can I simply say what a reduction to find someone who truly knows what theyre speaking about on the internet. You positively know how one can deliver a problem to light and make it important. More folks need to learn this and understand this facet of the story. I cant believe youre no more in style because you definitely have the gift.
1great post.Never knew this, regards for letting me know.
2I am just commenting to make you be aware of what a fabulous experience my cousin’s princess experienced viewing your web page. She discovered numerous things, with the inclusion of how it is like to have a very effective giving heart to have many others clearly have an understanding of certain specialized subject matter. You undoubtedly did more than readers’ desires. Thanks for coming up with those informative, healthy, edifying not to mention cool thoughts on that topic to Gloria.
3부산여성전용마사지 부산토닥이 드디어 부산 상륙 NO.1 부산 최대 규모 관리사들 항시 대기중 24시 연중무휴
4I’m not sure exactly why but this site is loading very slow for me. Is anyone else having this problem or is it a issue on my end? I’ll check back later on and see if the problem still exists.
5Hi would you mind stating which blog platform you’re working with? I’m going to start my own blog soon but I’m having a hard time selecting between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your design seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something completely unique. P.S My apologies for being off-topic but I had to ask!
6I like what you guys are up too. Such intelligent work and reporting! Keep up the excellent works guys I have incorporated you guys to my blogroll. I think it will improve the value of my web site 🙂
7It is really a great and useful piece of info. I am happy that you shared this helpful info with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thank you for sharing.
8Yay google is my queen helped me to find this great web site! .
9I’ve been surfing online more than three hours lately, yet I never found any attention-grabbing article like yours. It’s lovely price sufficient for me. In my view, if all website owners and bloggers made just right content material as you probably did, the web will likely be much more helpful than ever before. “It’s all right to have butterflies in your stomach. Just get them to fly in formation.” by Dr. Rob Gilbert.
10Hmm it looks like your site ate my first comment (it was super long) so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I submitted and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog. I too am an aspiring blog blogger but I’m still new to the whole thing. Do you have any points for rookie blog writers? I’d definitely appreciate it.
11Thanks a lot for sharing this with all of us you really understand what you are talking approximately! Bookmarked. Please additionally discuss with my website =). We may have a hyperlink alternate agreement among us!
12서울출장마사지와 서울출장안마 이용 안내. 강남·송파·마포 등 서울 지역의 홈타이 코스와 예약 절차를 확인하세요. 24시간 상담, 선입금 없는 후불제 타임케어. 방문 가능 여부와 최종 요금은 상담 시 안내합니다.
13As soon as I found this website I went on reddit to share some of the love with them.
14I’ve been surfing on-line greater than 3 hours lately, but I never discovered any fascinating article like yours. It is pretty value sufficient for me. In my opinion, if all website owners and bloggers made excellent content as you probably did, the net can be much more helpful than ever before.
15I went over this site and I conceive you have a lot of superb info , saved to bookmarks (:.
16Precisely what I was looking for, thankyou for putting up.
17I dugg some of you post as I thought they were very useful handy
18강남출장마사지 셀럽의 코스와 가격, 예약 방법을 확인하세요. 서울 강남구 역삼동·삼성동·논현동·신사동·압구정동·청담동·대치동·도곡동·개포동·수서동 등 주소별
19경기도 구리출장마사지 셀럽의 코스와 가격, 자택·호텔 방문 상담, 선입금 없는 예약 및 현장 결제 기준을 확인하세요. 방문 가능 여부와 예상 도착 시간은 주소와
20부산출장마사지 셀럽의 코스별 가격과 예약 방법을 확인하세요. 해운대·서면·광안리·동래 등 지역별 방문 가능 여부, 예상 도착 시간, 선입금 없는 현장 결제와 자택
21Its excellent as your other posts : D, thankyou for putting up. “Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.” by Franklin P. Jones.
22Wow, fantastic blog layout! How long have you been blogging for? you make blogging look easy. The overall look of your web site is fantastic, as well as the content!
23Very interesting information!Perfect just what I was looking for! “Better and ugly face than an ugly mind.” by James.
24Thanx for the effort, keep up the good work Great work, I am going to start a small Blog Engine course work using your site I hope you enjoy blogging with the popular BlogEngine.net.Thethoughts you express are really awesome. Hope you will right some more posts.
25I am glad to be one of many visitants on this great website (:, appreciate it for posting.
26I always was concerned in this topic and stock still am, appreciate it for putting up.
27Its excellent as your other content : D, thanks for posting. “What makes something special is not just what you have to gain, but what you feel there is to lose.” by Andre Agassi.
28주소콘에서 필요한 웹사이트 주소를 쉽고 빠르게 찾아보세요. 분야별 주소모음과 링크모음, 주소찾기 방법부터 변경된 주소 확인, 안전한 링크 확인 방법까지 한눈에 살펴볼 수 있습니다.
29You have noted very interesting details! ps decent internet site.
30Some really superb info , Glad I found this.
31주소콘은 자주 찾는 사이트의 최신주소와 변경된 주소를 카테고리별로 정리한 주소모음·링크모음 플랫폼입니다. 실시간으로 업데이트되는 바로가기 링크로 원하는 사이트에 빠르게 접속하세요.
32Its good as your other posts : D, regards for putting up.
33so much excellent info on here, :D.
34Wonderful items from you, man. I have be aware your stuff previous to and you’re simply too magnificent. I really like what you’ve received here, really like what you are stating and the way through which you are saying it. You make it entertaining and you continue to care for to keep it wise. I can’t wait to read much more from you. That is really a terrific web site.
35Hello.This article was extremely fascinating, especially since I was investigating for thoughts on this topic last Thursday.
36Simply want to say your article is as astounding. The clearness on your post is simply nice and that i could suppose you’re a professional on this subject. Fine along with your permission let me to seize your feed to keep updated with coming near near post. Thank you one million and please carry on the gratifying work.
37hi!,I like your writing very much! share we communicate more about your post on AOL? I need a specialist on this area to solve my problem. May be that’s you! Looking forward to see you.
38The next time I read a blog, I hope that it doesnt disappoint me as much as this one. I mean, I know it was my choice to read, but I actually thought youd have something interesting to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something that you could fix if you werent too busy looking for attention.
39I just couldn’t depart your web site before suggesting that I really enjoyed the standard info a person provide for your visitors? Is going to be back often to check up on new posts
40I love your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you create this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you? Plz answer back as I’m looking to construct my own blog and would like to find out where u got this from. many thanks
41I am really inspired along with your writing talents and also with the format for your blog. Is this a paid subject matter or did you customize it yourself? Either way keep up the nice high quality writing, it’s rare to peer a great weblog like this one these days..
42Amazing blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere? A theme like yours with a few simple adjustements would really make my blog stand out. Please let me know where you got your theme. Kudos
43Hi there, simply turned into alert to your blog through Google, and located that it’s really informative. I’m gonna be careful for brussels. I will appreciate should you proceed this in future. Numerous people shall be benefited from your writing. Cheers!
44Thanks for the sensible critique. Me and my neighbor were just preparing to do some research about this. We got a grab a book from our area library but I think I learned more clear from this post. I’m very glad to see such excellent information being shared freely out there.
45I think this web site holds very excellent composed written content articles.
46Can I just say what a relief to find someone who really knows what theyre talking about on the internet. You positively know the right way to carry an issue to light and make it important. Extra folks must learn this and understand this facet of the story. I cant consider youre no more in style since you undoubtedly have the gift.
47Thank you, I have just been looking for info approximately this topic for a while and yours is the greatest I’ve found out till now. But, what in regards to the conclusion? Are you positive concerning the source?
48We are a group of volunteers and starting a brand new scheme in our community. Your site provided us with helpful info to paintings on. You have performed an impressive job and our entire community will be grateful to you.
49I’ve learn several excellent stuff here. Definitely value bookmarking for revisiting. I surprise how much attempt you place to create this kind of magnificent informative site.
50