It seems we can’t get enough seeing this ubiquitous plant inside the farm. Each time we rid of weeds and trim the native trees of stubborn branches, this wild vegetable will just pop-up like mushrooms to take advantage of the readily available sunlight. It’s a waste that we don’t really eat this at home but I’ve heard countless times from older folks that they collect the tender stalks from young shoots and cook them with fish and guava or with chilies and coconut milk; I have eaten taro stalks prepared either way and trust me it’s delicious! Someone who’s not careful in handling this plant may end up having skin irritations they say, as well as someone who hasn’t prepared or cooked it properly will have mouth and throat irritations after eating. I would love to have it for a meal but would rather leave the collecting and the preparation to experts!
Trade name : Elephant yam
Botanical name : Amorphophallus paeoniifolius
Family : Araceae
Habit : Disturbed areas, moist thickets, open grasslands
Traits : Perennial herb; Inflorescence malodorous
Recommendations : Backyard vegetable; Conversation piece; Garden material; Potted
Native range : Madagascar, India, Bangladesh, China, Southeast Asia (including the Philippines), Australia, Polynesia
Conservation status : Not threatened in the Philippines
Further reading :
Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson by Wilbert Hetterscheid http://www.aroid.org/genera/amorphophallus/paeoniifolius/paeon.php (623)