Taro cultivation. Paddy fields of taro crops,Colocasia esculenta,in a valley. Taro (also known as dasheen,eddoe or cocoyam) is grown in tropical regions around the world for its swollen underground stems (corms). The corms yield about 50% starch but they must be cooked before eating to eliminate a poisonous substance,calcium oxalate. Photograph of Hanalei Valley on the island of Kauai in Hawaii,USA. Hawaii's national dish,poi,is made from taro which has been boiled,pounded,and fermented to form a sticky,edible paste |