COCOYAM

Cocoyam is a common name for several tropical root vegetables and may refer to:

Cocoyams are herbaceous perennial plants belonging to the family Araceae and are grown primarily for their edible roots, although all parts of the plant are edible. Cocoyams that are cultivated as food crops belong to either the genus Colocasia or the genus Xanthosoma and are generally comprised of a large spherical corm (swollen underground storage stem), from which a few large leaves emerge. The petioles of the leaves stand erect and can reach lengths in excess of 1 m (3.3 ft). The leaf blades are large and heart-shaped and can reach 50 cm (15.8 in) in length. The corm produces lateral buds which give rise to tubers or cormels and suckers or stolons. Cocoyams commonly reach in excess of 1 m (3.3 ft) in height and although they are perennials, they are often grown as annuals, harvested after one season. Colocasia species may also be referred to as taro, old cocoyam, arrowroot, eddoe, macabo or dasheen and originates from Southeast or Central Asia. Xanthosoma species may be referred to as tannia, yautia, new cocoyam or Chinese taro and originates from Central and South America.^[1]

·         Taro (Colocasia esculenta) - old cocoyam

·         Malanga (Xanthosoma spp.) - new cocoyam

Cocoyam is a tropical starchy tuberous root crop. There are many varieties of cocoyam but the most common are the soft variety used mainly as soup thickeners and the yam-like variety that can be boiled in a short time and eaten with pepper sauce.

Cocoyam Recipes

The soft variety is used mainly as a thickener in some Nigerian soup recipes which include:

Bitterleaf Soup

This is a very traditional soup, native to the eastern part of Nigeria.

Ora (Oha) Soup

The only difference between Ora Soup and Bitterleaf Soup is the vegetables used in preparing them, yet they taste so different.

Other recipes that are prepared with the cocoyam are:

Cocoyam Flakes Porridge:

The cocoyam is cooked, cut into thin chips and dried in the sun. The resulting flakes are later soaked in water and cooked with vegetables.

Ekpang Nkwukwo:

In this meal, both the corms and the leaves of the cocoyam are used as ingredients

Season

Cocoyam is planted a bit later in the rainy season, in the months of May and June. This is because it requires more moisture to germinate. Harvest for cocoyam begins in late September and ends around January, just before the dry season becomes too hot.

Storage

Cocoyam, like yam, can be stored for several months and it will still retain its taste. It is best stored in a cool, dry and well ventilated place. Most times they are stored on raised racks because the bare floor causes them to rot.

Buying Guide

Cocoyam, when in season, is readily available in the open Nigerian markets. It is harder to find them in African food stores outside Nigeria.

When buying cocoyam, carry out visual inspection of the corms. Press all parts of the corm to make sure that it is firm all over. Soft parts are the first indication that the cocoyam is going bad. Also avoid the ones with bruises or cracks as much as possible. Most bruises occur during harvest or transportation and may cause the affected parts to go bad.

Nutrition

Cocoyam corms are rich in carbohydrates while the leaves are a good source of vitamins A and C and contain more protein than the corms.