Edible aroids in Western cooking

Pom preparation during one of the Imagine IC events. Photo credit: Karin Vaneker

Imagine Identity and Culture (Imagine IC) is an Amsterdam-based intercultural center that focuses on documenting the cultural traditions and heritage of migrants and their descendants living in the Netherlands. With almost half of the population of the former Dutch colony of Surinam now living in the Netherlands, the Centre is documenting the influence of Surinamese cooking in Dutch cuisine as well as the rise in popularity of edible aroids. In 2007 the Centre organized an exhibition on taro – an edible root crop from the tropics - inviting famous chefs to develop new recipes for this crop and produced informative visuals on its origin and nutritional properties.

The Issue

If on the one hand globalization is eroding traditional food systems and narrowing the food basket in many developed and developing countries, in Europe increased immigration from developing countries has, to some extent, broadened the availability of foods, such that many once unheard of tropical fruits and vegetables are finding their way on the market. One such example is represented by edible aroids. Aroid leaves and tubers (corms and cormels) are now commonly sold fresh, as well as peeled, frozen (grated), fermented or in the form of flour. Largely consumed by migrants from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Greater Caribbean Basin, these foods are gradually becoming popular in Dutch cooking thanks to the work of Imagine IC and to increased knowledge about their nutritional properties.

Agricultural biodiversity

Aroids include over 100 genera and 3750 species belonging to the Araceae family. Popular ornamentals, aroids are also one of the oldest cultivated crops in tropical Asia and America. The four most important cultivated aroid genera used as food, but also for medicinal purposes and for animal fodder, are Colocasia esculenta, Alocasia, Cyrtosperma and Xanthosoma spp. All aroid plant parts are edible, however these plants are mostly appreciated for their starchy roots whose carbohydrate content is similar to that of potatoes. Protein content in aroids is slightly higher than in potatoes, but more than double the amount contained in sweet potatoes and cassava. The size of their starch granules makes the tubers easily digestible. Furthermore they contain minerals, vitamin C, and B1 and B2, and niacin. The nutritional value of aroid leaves is often compared to spinach. As well as being rich in protein, aroid leaves are an excellent source of Vitamin A, C, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron and folic acid. Although highly nutritious, aroids also contain anti-nutrients, particularly oxalic acid, which can cause irritation of the skin and mouth. Appropriate cooking and preparation methods are thus required to make aroids digestible and denature toxins (the calcium oxalate crystals). Among these methods are baking, roasting and boiling as well as drying and fermentation. Due their importance as energy foods and adaptability to grow in unfavourable conditions, aroids are receiving greater attention from nutrition experts.

The project

Taro, or pomtajer in Surinamese, is the main ingredient of Pom, a typical Surinamese dish which is becoming increasingly popular in eateries and takeaways in and around Amsterdam. In 2007, ImagineIC organized the exhibition ‘Pom op het Menu’ (Pom on the Menu) using food to create an intercultural dialogue between the Surinamese and Dutch communities. Surinamese speakers were invited to talk about taro, to share recipes, knowledge and lore surrounding the crop whose preparation and cooking is generally transmitted by oral tradition. Following a demonstration on Surinamese food preparation by Mavis Hofwijk, a well-known Amsterdam-based Surinamese caterer, Michelin-starred chefs, food artists and a food designer were invited to create innovative dishes using pomtajer. The chefs developed their own pomtajer recipes, ranging from taro pancakes with Chinese chicken feet, Jewish Latkes with taro and wild herbs, Senegalese boulettes de Pom, Pom frites, vegetarian pomcurry and a pomtajer dessert made with cane sugar, orange and allspice. The event was documented using video and photography. An inventory of Amsterdam-based establishments serving pom was created as well as an exhibition catalogue.
Karin Vaneker, who was the curator of the exhibit at ImagineIC, has been instrumental in raising awareness of edible aroids in the Netherlands and has developed, in collaboration with graphic designer Erwin Slaats, a number of infographics, exhibits and articles on these important species. See below.

Further information