Microwaving Malanga
 

Will microwaving instead of boiling Malanga, destroy the poison in it?
I did a Google search on the subject, but couldn't find anything
written about it. Does anyone have any microwave Malanga recipes
they'd be willing to share? I'd just like to know if it's safe to eat
microwave Malanga.

Microwaving Malanga
 

I looked in _Uncommon Fruits & Vegetables A Commonsense Guide_ by
Elizabeth Schneider for an answer to your question. She doesn't mention
any poison in malanga when eaten raw or boiled or cooked any other way.
BUT she also says that there's enormous confusion about what actual
vegetable is being talked about with that name so you might be thinking
of something very different. Try to find out the Latin name of your
vegetable. That will help you research safe cooking methods.
Xanthosoma species is the one Schneider is refering to.

--Lia


Robert Sutherland wrote:
> Will microwaving instead of boiling Malanga, destroy the poison in it?
> I did a Google search on the subject, but couldn't find anything
> written about it. Does anyone have any microwave Malanga recipes
> they'd be willing to share? I'd just like to know if it's safe to eat
> microwave Malanga.

Microwaving Malanga
 

"Robert Sutherland" > wrote in message
om...
> Will microwaving instead of boiling Malanga, destroy the poison in it?
> I did a Google search on the subject, but couldn't find anything
> written about it. Does anyone have any microwave Malanga recipes
> they'd be willing to share? I'd just like to know if it's safe to eat
> microwave Malanga.

Are you perhaps confusing malanga with manioc? Manioc (also known as
cassava) contains cyanide compounds which must be removed by boiling and
rinsing prior to ingestion. At least the bitter varieties. I think I have
read of a "sweet" variety that does not require as extensive a treatment
before eating.

Microwaving Malanga
 

Steve Wertz wrote:
> On Thu, 20 May 2004 11:13:16 GMT, Julia Altshuler
> > wrote:
>
>
>>I looked in _Uncommon Fruits & Vegetables A Commonsense Guide_ by
>>Elizabeth Schneider for an answer to your question.
>
> Isn't this just Taro? I didn't think any other "malangas" were
> used culinarily.


Going entirely by the information in the book, Malanga has a "close
resemblance to a related tuber, Colocasia esculenta, most commonly known
as taro." Other names for Xanthosoma species include Tannia, Tannier,
Malanga Amarilla, Yautia Amarilla, Yautia Blanca, Cocoyam. She said it
was confusing, and it is proving to be so.


--Lia