Taro

Taro root, shoots, and leaves can be served, fully cooked, when your baby seems ready for solids, which is usually at 6 months. Raw taro is toxic. Cook every form very well.

Taro goes by many names in the tropics, such as chembu, cocoyam, dasheen, eddoe, gabi and kalo. It is a plant native to Southeast Asia. This page covers Colocasia esculenta. Other plants such as malanga and ube are also called taro.

The root supplies carbohydrate and fiber, plus folate, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin E alongside B6 and C. In the shoots you find water, fiber, potassium, and vitamins C and B6. The leaves contain fiber and vitamin A, as well as folate, choline, calcium, and iron. The root spoils fast, so cook it within a few days.

Every baby develops at their own pace. These tips are general guidance.

Peel the root and cook it thoroughly. Serve as a mash, wedges or bites. Cook leaves and shoots well and chop them. Poi is a Pacific Islands dish of mashed cooked taro. Fresh or fermented poi can be served in a bowl. Homemade fermented poi, like other fermented foods such as yogurt or sauerkraut, can carry a higher risk of foodborne illness. Take care when making, storing and serving it.

Well-cooked, soft taro is considered low risk. Any food can still cause choking. Prepare it to suit your baby's age and stay close during meals. Wait until after age 2 for deep-fried taro such as chips, fries, and puffs.

Taro is not a common allergen. Few people are allergic to it, but there are reported cases. Taro may cause a reaction in people with pollen food allergy syndrome, above all those sensitive to grass or tree pollen. The syndrome typically causes brief mouth itching, tingling or a burning feeling. Start with a small amount for the first servings and increase slowly if there is no reaction.