Malanga


Whole and Cut Malanga Corms [Yautía (Puerto Rico, Dominican), Malanga (Cuba); Malusa (Bolivia); Bore (Colombia); Tiquizque, Macal (Costa Rica); Mafala (Mexico); Quequisque (Nicaragua); Otoe (Panama); Ocumo (Venezuela); Tania, Mangarito (Brazil), New Cocoyam (Africa), 'Ape (Polynesia); Tayer (Suriname, Netherlands); Arrowleaf Elephant ear, American Taro; Xanthosoma saggitifolium (malanga blanca), X. atrovirens (malanga amarilla), X. violaceum (malanga lila), X. maffaffa (mangarito)]

Native to northern South America, this arum is now also grown all through the Caribbean region and Central America, and is particularly popular in Cuba and Puerto Rico. As "New Cocoyam", Malanga is also now grown in West Africa as an alternative to yams and taro (Cocoyam). It is also grown in Hawaii as 'Ape (say "Ah-pay"), and the Philippines.

The corm is somewhat mucilaginous and cooks to a smoother texture than potato, with chunks holding their shape well. The flavor is closer to potato than other tropical root vegetables, but is a little more nutty than potatoes are. The longer of the photo specimens, obtained from a multi-ethnic market in Los Angeles, was 8-1/2 inches long, 2-5/8 inches in diameter at the thickest part, and weighed 14 ounces.

More on Arums.



Buying:

  These Corms are now widely available in North America, from markets serving Hispanic, Southeast Asian, and Philippine communities. A recent purchase from a Philippine market was at 2017 US $2.49 / pound, but they are often at a lower price in markets serving a Hispanic community.

Storing:

  Fresh Malanga should be stored at a cool room temperature, not below 45°F/7°C.



Malanga Leaves


Live Malanga Leaves [Macabo, Taioba (Brazil); Tannia, Tannier (Caribbean); Nkontomire (Ghana); Xanthosoma saggitifolium]

These leaves are now eaten in many tropical and sub-tropical regions around the world. They have a lower calcium oxalate level than Taro Leaves so are easier to prepare. While the leaves look similar at first glance, Malanga Leaves have the stem attached at the point of the "V" notch, while Taro Leaves are attached several inches below the "V" notch. Malanga Leaves also grow very much larger.

Buying:

  Not easy in North America. There is a known experimental farm at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, which sells the leaves in local markets. It may also be available in Florida where Malanga is a commercial crop. It is also considered an invasive weed there. It is frost sensitive, but should be easy to grow in warmer regions. It is best grown in raised beds of well drained, just moist soil to prevent diseases.

Cooking:

  Leaves and stems must be cooked because they contain calcium oxalate, though not as much as spinach. It is usually cooked much like Spinach. In Brazil, the leaf is stripped from the veins and stir fried in Olive Oil with Garlic, and a minimal amount of water if needed. The leaves take longer to cook than Spinach because they are quite a bit thicker. In Suriname the leaves are often baked with a Maggi® cube and served as a side dish. Young and tender leaves are also used in stews and soups.

Health & Nutrition

  Malanga Leaf and Stems contain calcium oxalate, but not as much as in Spinach. The leaf is 27% protein, high in Vitamin C, and rich in Calcium Iron, Phosphorus, Potassium, and Manganese. Photo by Obsidian Soul distributed under license Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike v4.0 International.

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