Edible aroids

[Douglas Green]

At 03:08 PM 1/12/2000 EST, you wrote:
>Hello AEGers,
>  Are Pinellia and/or Arisaema tubers edible? Are they used for food anywhere
>in the world?
>                 Just curious,
>           Mark Mazer Gaylordsville, Connecticut Zone 5
>
According to Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World - -

A. atrorubens (I believe he means A. triphyllum ) is edible. "Shredded
roots and berries are said to have been boiled and eaten with their
venison" Root *must* be boiled first before being eaten.

A costatum is said to be eaten in Tahiti - inferior to Taro - no culinary
directions.

A. curvatum is apparently the basis of a food called "tong" prepared by the
Lepchas of India. Apparently fermented to reduce the poisonous qualities
and then eaten - improper fermentation results in poisoning.

A. tortuosum. "The root is considered esculent by the mountaineers of Nepal"
note "esculent" means "any edible substance." (I had to look it up):-)

Pinellia are given no references.

Doug
Doug Green,
Simple Gifts Farm, Ontario, Canada
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