Chapter 339 - 219: Taro Can Be Used as Seasoning Too?

Chapter 339: Chapter 219: Taro Can Be Used as Seasoning Too?

These leaves were about the size of a basin, with an overall elongated heart shape. From a distance, they did indeed look very similar to a banana leaf, and also a bit like an un-split monstera leaf.

Not many plants had such large leaves—only a handful of species.

Lin Chen froze for a moment. ’A bold guess surfaced in his mind.’ He quickly shone his light on the ground, and only after confirming it was safe to walk on did he hurry forward.

Getting closer, he could see the details of the leaves more clearly. The plant was almost as tall as a person, with numerous leaves growing from a single stalk. The stalk itself was thick, long, and fleshy—a bit like a miniature Bamboo Tree.

"This is... taro, right?"

To be honest, he had never seen taro leaves from this close. Back in China, he’d seen them from a distance in farmers’ fields while hiking in the mountains.

He didn’t act rashly. First, he searched his mind for information on taro. Only after discovering that it was indeed found in Panama, and was actually quite common, did he dare to confirm the plant’s true identity.

’The stalk is so tall and sturdy, and the leaves are wide and fleshy. Looks like the taro themselves should be a good size. I can dig them up.’

Digging up taro wasn’t difficult. Much like pulling up a radish, all he had to do was grab the base of the stalk with both hands and yank it out.

However, he was still sick and certainly didn’t have much strength, so he prepared to use a different, less strenuous but more time-consuming, cruder method.

Digging.

To put it simply, he would use the back of his bamboo knife as a makeshift shovel, scraping away the soil around the taro’s root system layer by layer. He’d first determine the direction the roots grew in before digging more carefully.

Taro, like sweet potatoes and potatoes, is a plant with a large, fleshy root. By simply clearing away the top layer of soil to expose the taro, he could significantly reduce the resistance when pulling it out.

The back of the knife swept away the soft soil layer by layer, and after a short while, it scraped against a distinct hard object.

A look of delight crossed his face. He quickly but carefully began to dig away all the surrounding soil, centering his efforts on the hard object.

Under the beam of his Hat Lamp, a dark, round object larger than his fist gradually revealed its true form.

’Holy cow, this taro is huge!’

This was wild taro, not a cultivated variety. Without the aid of fertilizer or modern agricultural techniques, it was a miracle it had grown this big.

Normally, wild taro shouldn’t get as large as a potato. Growing to the size of an orange would already be considered impressive.

’Could it be... that these were a cultivated variety of taro planted by the shelter’s previous occupant?’

He couldn’t think of any other explanation for why the taro had grown to such an unusual size.

As he dug up the taro, he continued to browse the detailed information about the plant in his mind.

The information covered its growing environment, preferred temperature, humidity, light exposure, and terrain. It also included the global distribution of different varieties, the nutritional value of the entire plant, and records on which parts were edible.

’Taro leaves and stalks are edible?!’

As someone from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, taro was a food he had eaten practically his whole life.

Pan-fried, deep-fried, stewed, stir-fried, in desserts, or even stuffed into meat zongzi as an ingredient—he’d had it every way.

But he had never once heard of the leaves and stalks being edible.

’According to the data, the taro stalk is probably like a sweet potato or pumpkin stalk—you mainly eat it for the texture. Its nutritional content is mostly fiber. The leaves, on the other hand, are surprisingly nutritious.’

’Huh? In some mountainous regions, they actually steam and sun-dry taro leaves? Isn’t that how you make preserved vegetables?’

The thought of preserved vegetables immediately piqued his interest.

That stuff was very common in the south. It could be made from all sorts of vegetables and had a unique, slightly sweet flavor. Usually, though, it was made from mustard-family vegetables, like the most common pickled mustard greens.

In some places, it was made with cabbage, bok choy, or napa cabbage, each with its own distinct flavor.

Although he’d never made preserved vegetables himself, he had specifically researched the process while preparing for the competition. Unfortunately, the vegetables suitable for it generally grew in temperate climates and couldn’t be found in the Panama Forest, so he hadn’t given it much thought.

But now, the plant information from his system mentioned dried taro leaves made with a similar process, and his interest was immediately rekindled.

After a great deal of effort, he finally pulled up the entire taro plant, roots and all. A dense cluster of taro corms of various sizes clung to its base.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and straightened up, immediately feeling a wave of dizziness.

’Forget it. I’ll stop here for today. I can’t push myself too hard. I’ll just leave the rest in the ground and come back for them in a couple of days when I’ve recovered.’

He looked around. There were at least a dozen more taro plants nearby. All told, that was probably close to a hundred taro corms—enough to sustain him for more than two months.

’Taro is good stuff. If I remember correctly, not only can taro starch be used as a substitute for cornstarch, but it can also be used to make crystal dumplings and translucent taro balls. My grandma used to make them all the time when I was a kid, and they tasted pretty good.’

He chopped off the taro leaves and stuffed them into his bamboo basket. Then, he cut off the stalks, grabbed the cluster of taro at the base, and headed toward the stream.

’I’ll just leave the stalks. They don’t have much nutritional value. I’d be better off picking some fiddleheads than eating those.’