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Callaloo
They are the leaves of the taro plant,
poisonous if eaten raw, but used widely in Asian and Caribbean recipes.
They are cooked thoroughly, then used for wrapping meat and vegetables.
Callaloo can also be shredded and cooked together with pork, bacon,
crab, shrimps, okra, chili, onions and garlic, together with lime and
coconut milk to make one of the Caribbean's most famous dishes, named
after the leaves themselves, Callaloo.
Jicama
Also known as the Mexican potato, this large
root vegetable is a native of central America. It has a thin brown skin
and white, crunchy flesh which has a sweet, nutty taste. It can be eaten
cooked in the same way as potatoes or sliced and added raw to salads.
Buy specimens that are firm to the touch. Jimaca in good condition will
keep for about two weeks if stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.
Cassava
This is another very popular West Indian
root, used in numerous Caribbean dishes, It is native to Brazil, and
found its way to the West Indies surprisingly via Africa, where it also
became a popular vegetable. Known as cassava in the West Indies, it is
called manioc or mandioc in brazil, and juca or yucca is used in other
parts of South America. Cassava is used to make tapioca, and in South
America a sauce and an intoxicating beverage are prepared from the
juice. However, in Africa and the West Indies it is eaten as a vegetable
either boiled, baked or fried, or cooked and pounded to a dough to make
fufu, a traditional savory African pudding.
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