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Kalo has deep roots literally and culturally. Kalo is the one of the most important foods in Hawaiian culture and is sacred to people of the past and the present. Every keiki would benefit from eating more kalo!
Kalo is the kinolau (form of god) of the god Kanē. Mo’olelo (Hawaiian legends) tells us that kalo is the older brother to the first Hawaiian man. Kalo was the first child of the of two Hawaiian gods and named Hāloanakalaulapalili. The second child, was the first Hawaiian man, and named Hāloa in honor of his older brother. When we take care of kalo plant (our elder), kalo takes care of us (the younger siblings) by providing sustenance.
Traditionally, kalo was cooked in the underground cooking pit, the imu. If you don’t have an imu, you can also boil steam or pressure cook it. Kalo is delicious in both sweet and savory recipes.
What’s so awesome about it.
Resistant Starches
Kalo is packed full of a certain type of carbohydrates called resistant starches. Resistant starches are just that, resistant. These starches aren’t able to be broken down by our digestive processes. They actually ferment in the large intestine, acting as food for the beneficial bacteria in the gut. These bacteria play an important role in digestion and immune function.
When regular simple starches are digested, our body turns it into glucose which raises our blood sugar levels quickly. Resistant starches are amazing because they help regulate blood sugar levels, provide lasting energy and keep us fuller for longer!
Mineral Rich
Kalo is a great source of minerals like manganese and potassium. Manganese is an essential nutrient, important for bone health, blood clotting and a healthy metabolism. Potassium is just as important, helping regulate blood pressure and supporting healthy heart function.
Versatility
There are so many fun and creative ways to use kalo in the kitchen. Kalo root is a healthy substitute for white rice, potatoes, pasta or bread. Taro can be enjoyed as a savory or sweet dish. The recipe possibilities are endless; sliced or cubed with sea salt, poi and pa’i’ai, kulolo, kalo burgers, kalo fries or in lau lau. Use the leaves for lau lau, lū’au or stews.
Featured Ingredients
Taro – Kalo
Kalo is a canoe plant, meaning it was brought to Hawai’i by the early Polynesians on their voyages. It was and still is one of the most important plants in the Hawaiian culture.
There once were over 400 varieties of Hawaiian kalo. Now only 82 remain. It’s important to keep these varieties alive. We can do this by growing them, labeling them and sharing them with the community. Some popular varieties include: Mana ‘Ulu, Lehua Maoli, Pi’iali’i, Lihilihimōlina. They all have special features, flavors, colors and textures. Queen Emma’s favorite variety of kalo was lihilihimōlina; there is a pretty purple eyelash shape in the corm. Currently, 90% of the commercially grown kalo is the Maui Lehua variety.
The parent kalo plant (mauka) have offspring (‘ohā) that sprout off the side. Ohana means “many ‘ohā“, or “family”.
As food, Kalo is a healthy starch. All parts of the kalo are edible, but they MUST BE COOKED for at least 1-2 hours (depending on the size of the corm) to break down the plant’s calcium oxalate, needle-like crystals. When eaten raw, kalo can make your throat and mouth extremely itchy and can be potentially harmful.
Cooking Kalo (Taro)
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Description
Kalo is a staple Hawaiian food. Cooking kalo in a pressure cooker is possibly the simplest and most efficient way to do it. This recipe is the start of a delicious meal. Enjoy the salted kalo by itself, turn it into burgers, mash it into poi, or add it to some lau lau. Anyway you do it, its going to be healthy and delicious!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups Taro ( Kalo can be cooked whole or cut into quarters, after being cleaned. 1 pound = 3 cups approximately)
- 1/3 tsp Hawaiian Sea Salt
- 1 cup Water
Instructions
- Raw kalo can make your hands very itchy. Consider wearing food service gloves when
handling raw kalo (roots, stems and leaves). - Wash the kalo root with water and a vegetable brush. If there are still long roots
attached, snap them off with your fingers and compost them. - Kalo can be cooked whole or cut into quarters.
- Place kalo into the pressure cooker on a steamer basket.
- Measure and add water to the pot.
- Cook for 45 minutes to 2 hours on high pressure. Time varies based on the corm (kalo
root) size and variety and the type of machine. - When done cooking, allow to cool and follow the steps for cleaning cooked Kalo.
- Once cool, keiki can help peel the skin off using the back of a spoon, a butter knife or a
clean ‘opihi (limpet) shell. Use water to help clean the off the peel. - Kalo is ready to eat! Kalo stores in the refrigerator for a few days, but it often loses
moisture and changes texture.
Notes
Serving Suggestions
Substitute kalo root in place of white rice, potatoes, pasta and bread; sliced or cubed with sea
salt, poi and pa‘i ‘ai; burgers, fries or in lau lau. Use kalo root for the dessert kūlolo. Use
kalo leaves for lau lau, lū‘au, stews.
Steaming
You can also steam kalo. It takes about 1.5-2 hours. Make sure the water doesn’t dry up – you
can start a fire!
Crock Pot
You could also cook kalo in a crock pot overnight
Imu – Traditional Underground Oven
Cooking in an imu, the underground oven, is a traditional Hawaiian method (also in many
other cultures world-wide. It gives the taro a yummy smokey flavor!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
Aloha! I’m Tiana 🙂 I’m a nutritionist and eco-health educator from the island of Kaua’i. I’m on a lifelong quest to inspire healthier habits and a healthier planet. I created Farm to Keiki in 2010, to bring the Farm to Early Care and Education movement to Hawai’i to improve the health of our children, communities and Earth. After completing my Masters of Science in Nutrition, I published the book, “Farm to Keiki – Cooking, Gardening and Nutrition with Children”. For my 10 year anniversary – I brought Farm to Keiki online! I hope you enjoy this site and pick up a copy of Farm to Keiki to teach to your children! We can create a healthier world… it starts with you!
