Leucocasia Schott Colocasia is a genus[3][4] of flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to southeastern Asia and the Indian subcontinent.

The plant reproduces mostly by means of rhizomes (tubers, corms), but it also produces "clusters of two to five fragrant inflorescences in the leaf axils".

[7] Like other members of the family, the plant contains an irritant which causes intense discomfort to the lips, mouth and throat.

C. esculenta and other members of the genus are cultivated as ornamental plants, or for their edible corms, a traditional starch staple in many tropical areas.

In temperate regions, they are planted out for the summer and dug up and stored over winter, dry and with ventilation to prevent fungal infection.

The edible types are grown in the South Pacific and eaten like potatoes and known as taro, eddoe, and dasheen.

Poi, a Hawaiian dish, is made by boiling the starchy underground stem of the plant then mashing it into a paste.

"Baby" kolokasi is called "poulles": after being fried dry, red wine and coriander seed are added, and then it is served with freshly squeezed lemon.

In Egypt, the tubercles (or kolkas - arabic: قلقاس) are traditionally cut into cubes and cooked in a green soup with celery, chard, garlic and other herbs.

[17] Commonly served with white vermicelli rice or eaten with pita bread dipped into the soup.

In Eastern part of Uttar Pradesh, arbi, known as arabi ka patta, is used to make the dish sahina.

The leaves used in a dish called "saru magura", made with rice batter inside the leaf which is steamed and fried.

In Maharashtra, the leaves are called aloo and are used to make a sweet and sour curry with peanuts and cashew nuts that is commonly cooked during marriages.

These biscuits are burnt and dissolved in boiling water before being added into meat dishes to create a thick, flavourful dry gravy.

The dish called patrodu is made using taro leaves rolled with corn or gram flour and boiled in water.

[20][21][22] The old couple did according to how they were advised by the monkeys, peeling off the best tubers of the plants, then boiling them in a pot until softened and after cooling them off, wrapping them in banana leaves and burying them in the soils of the farmlands.

Unaware of the tricks of the monkeys, the old couple cooked and ate the inedible wild Colocasia plants.

[29] Colocasia leaves contain phytochemicals, such as anthraquinones, apigenin, catechins, cinnamic acid derivatives, vitexin, and isovitexin.