Braised Pork Ribs with Taro

Taro is a starchy root vegetable. It is called wuh-t'au (芋頭) in Cantonese. It can be found at many vegetables stalls at local wet markets in winter months. There are many varieties of taro but you 2 of them are commonly sold here in Hong Kong:  the betel nut kind which is ~10cm ø; and the red-budded type which is smaller and measures ~ 5 cm ø.    

I love the bigger one (betel nut) best braised with meat. I love its sweet taste and smooth texture, which reminds me of chestnuts.   Here is my recipe which has been adapted over the years. 

Braised Belly Pork w/ Arrowhead

Arrowhead or arrowroot was one of the few local produce presented in Martha Dahlen’s book that I had yet to cook, as mentioned in my post of Dec.11,2011.

Arrowroot is now in season and I bought one catty (~600gr) for HK$10 at the wet market just before Christmas. I kept the fresh tubers wrapped in newspapers in the lower compartment of my fridge until yesterday.

Fresh arrowheads (chìh-gû -慈姑)