ABSTRACT
Giant taro is native to rain forests from Malaysia to Queensland and has long been grown on many Pacific islands and elsewhere in the tropics. Giant taro is a colossal plant with characteristic leaves and is valued as an ornamental plant. Its swollen underground stems are used as food and animal fodder. It is grown as an ornamental plant, for its edible corms and a conventional starch staple in tropical regions. Giant taro is a rich source of calcium, phosphorous, iron, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin C, which are important constituents of human diet. Leaves, young shoots and corms of giant taro are eaten as food. Its corms and cormels are boiled, baked, roasted, fried, barbecued, or cooked in curries and consumed in conjunction with fish, coconut preparations, etc. The giant taro roots and leaves are used medicinally in some of the countries.
