Microwaving Malanga

I looked in _Uncommon Fruits & Vegetables A Commonsense
Guide_ by Elizabeth Schneider for an answer to your
question. She doesn't mention any poison in malanga when
eaten raw or boiled or cooked any other way. BUT she also
says that there's enormous confusion about what actual
vegetable is being talked about with that name so you might
be thinking of something very different. Try to find out the
Latin name of your vegetable. That will help you research
safe cooking methods. Xanthosoma species is the one
Schneider is refering to.

--Lia

Robert Sutherland said:

Will microwaving instead of boiling Malanga, destroy the
poison in it? I did a Google search on the subject, but
couldn't find anything written about it. Does anyone have
any microwave Malanga recipes they'd be willing to share?
I'd just like to know if it's safe to eat microwave
Malanga.

"Robert Sutherland" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Will microwaving instead of boiling Malanga, destroy the
poison in it? I did a Google search on the subject, but
couldn't find anything written about it. Does anyone have
any microwave Malanga recipes they'd be willing to share?
I'd just like to know if it's safe to eat microwave
Malanga.

Are you perhaps confusing malanga with manioc? Manioc (also
known as cassava) contains cyanide compounds which must be
removed by boiling and rinsing prior to ingestion. At least
the bitter varieties. I think I have read of a "sweet"
variety that does not require as extensive a treatment
before eating.

Julia Altshuler said:

I looked in _Uncommon Fruits & Vegetables A Commonsense
Guide_ by Elizabeth Schneider for an answer to your
question. She doesn't mention any poison in malanga when
eaten raw or boiled or cooked any other way. BUT she also
says that there's enormous confusion about what actual
vegetable is being talked about with that name so you might
be thinking of something very different. Try to find out
the Latin name of your vegetable. That will help you
research safe cooking methods. Xanthosoma species is the
one Schneider is refering to.

Isn't this just Taro? I didn't think any other "malangas"
were used culinarily.

-sw

Quoted message said:

Robert Sutherland said:

Will microwaving instead of boiling Malanga, destroy the
poison in it? I did a Google search on the subject, but
couldn't find anything written about it. Does anyone have
any microwave Malanga recipes they'd be willing to share?
I'd just like to know if it's safe to eat microwave
Malanga.

Steve Wertz said:

Julia Altshuler said:

I looked in _Uncommon Fruits & Vegetables A Commonsense
Guide_ by Elizabeth Schneider for an answer to your
question.

Isn't this just Taro? I didn't think any other "malangas"
were used culinarily.

Going entirely by the information in the book, Malanga has a
"close resemblance to a related tuber, Colocasia esculenta,
most commonly known as taro." Other names for Xanthosoma
species include Tannia, Tannier, Malanga Amarilla, Yautia
Amarilla, Yautia Blanca, Cocoyam. She said it was confusing,
and it is proving to be so.

--Lia