Midu Large Taro

Midu Large Taro

　　Midu Large Taro is a specialty of Midu County in Dali Prefecture, Yunnan Province. With its excellent quality and unique characteristics, Midu taro has gained wide market recognition and is exported to Chengdu, Chongqing, Shanghai, Shandong, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, as well as processed and exported to countries such as South Korea, the United States, and Europe.

　　Taro is a traditional crop in Midu, yet Midu taro is also a standout feature in this kingdom of vegetables. The Midu Large Taro has long been a topic of deep meaning among the locals.

　　“If you have taro, you need not worry about rice.” The large taro of Midu is named after the county where it is grown. It can be used both as a dish and as a staple food. Due to its flesh bearing a betel nut-like pattern, it is also known as betel nut taro. It is cultivated all over Midu, with white flesh of premium quality, rich in protein, starch, relatively high calcium, and certain vitamins. It is fragrant, soft, fluffy, slightly sweet in taste.

　　The Midu Large Taro gets its name from its round shape, as big as a head. It has strong vitality and thrives in moist temperate climates, growing hidden under the soil. It can be baked, boiled, or stir-fried, making it a delicious dish beloved by the locals, with boiling being the best way to enjoy it. Peel the skin, slice it, and boil it with greens for a texture that is crispy, mealy, fragrant, and sweet. The soup is milky white and highly nutritious, earning it the praise: “As big as a melon, it becomes soft when water rises, fragrant and delicious, and at its most nutritious.”

　　Boiling taro in Midu is truly one of life’s great pleasures. The stewed taro soup and braised taro are flavorful, fragrant, and highly beneficial to health. Whether cooked or braised with meat, sliced and added to hot pot, or made into taro meatballs, each preparation offers a unique taste. Of course, the most distinctive way to enjoy it is through Midu's large taro with braised pork—combining taro and meat in one bite results in an excellent harmony of color, aroma, taste, and presentation.