Tahitian Spinach Leaf is grown primarily for its greens. Loaded with Vitamin A, C and Thiamin (B1) it’s a welcome change from conventional spinach. Just like the taro corm, Tahitian Spinach must be cooked in boiling salted water in order to reduce the itchy, tingling and often painful consequence of eating undercooked taro. Calcium oxolate (tiny crystals) & proteolytic enzymes (release histamine) are natural pesticides that can be cooked out whereas other tropical roots, tubers and plant life no matter how they’re cooked are not fit for consumption. And preparation is easy. Simply wash, chop and submerge in a pot of boiling water with about a tablespoon of sea salt. Greens will wilt down significantly. Tahitian Spinach is more tender than standard Hawaiian varieties and requires less cooking time. 15 minutes tops. As for the Taro corm, the heavy round root needs to be cooked until soft. I like to cut cooking time by skinning the corm so its cleaned of its rough outer layer, then I quarter it. This way the corm is ready in 25-35 minutes as opposed to 2 hours (or sometimes longer). Back to the greens though…
- Enjoy as you would any wilted spinach leaf. Over rice, pasta, potatoes, in a sauce or on the side with a light sauce of butter and garlic. Visit Lisa & Sun of One Song Farm at the Saturday Kilauea Market bright and early and request a full bunch. You’ll be pleasantly surprised!