Produce

Eddoes

Small, hairy starchy taro corms boiled or fried as a staple root vegetable in Caribbean cooking.

Eddoes are small, brown, hairy corms of the taro family with a dense, slightly nutty starchy flesh. A staple across the Caribbean, West Africa, and parts of Asia, they are peeled and boiled, mashed, or fried much like potatoes and added to soups and stews. They must be cooked thoroughly, as the raw corm contains irritating calcium oxalate.

Eddoes are a distinct small-variety taro corm prized throughout the Caribbean for their exceptional ability to absorb bold seasonings while holding their shape through long simmers. Unlike the larger dasheen, eddoes are characteristically small—typically 2 to 4 inches in diameter—round to oval, and covered in a dense, fibrous, hairy brown skin that adheres tightly to the white flesh beneath, which often carries purple flecks. Their flavor is mild and faintly nutty with a subtle sweetness, and their texture when cooked is dense, creamy, and substantially more starchy than a potato, with less water content. This combination makes them uniquely suited to Caribbean and West African cookery, where they anchor stews and stand up to aggressive seasonings like scotch bonnet pepper, thyme, and coconut milk. The calcium oxalate crystals present in the raw corm mean eddoes must always be cooked before eating—raw preparation causes irritation to skin and mucous membranes and produces an unpleasantly gritty texture. The effort of dealing with the hairy skin and the mandatory cooking are simply part of working with this ingredient, and experienced cooks develop specific techniques to manage both efficiently.

Measured in: g
Storage: Pantry

Types & varieties

Eddoes

Small, round, hairy brown corm with white flesh and purple flecks; the classic Caribbean variety

Dasheen

Larger taro relative with smoother skin; used interchangeably in some Caribbean dishes but has a notably different, lighter texture

Cocoyam

West African term for eddoes and taro corms; often refers to the same or closely related varieties

Working with the hairy skin

The fibrous skin of raw eddoes is one of the ingredient's most practical challenges. It adheres tightly to the flesh and contains calcium oxalate that can irritate skin on contact. The most reliable approach is to boil eddoes unpeeled—score the skin in a cross pattern on one or both ends, place in generously salted boiling water, and cook until a thin skewer slides through with no resistance. Once cooked, the skin slips off easily with a fork or your fingers. If you must peel raw eddoes, use a very sharp sturdy peeler or a sharp knife, work quickly, and wear latex or nitrile gloves to protect your hands from the irritants. Some cooks also find that running cold water over hands while peeling helps reduce skin irritation.

Score unpeeled eddoes crosswise before boiling to speed cooking and seasoning absorption
Wear gloves when peeling raw corms; irritation from calcium oxalate can be significant
After boiling, slip off the skin while still warm—it comes away cleanly from cooked flesh
Work with a sharp knife or sturdy peeler; the skin is fibrous and resists thin peelers

Cooking eddoes: holding shape versus breaking down

Eddoes behave differently from potatoes in liquid—they have less internal moisture and a denser cell structure, so they absorb surrounding seasonings readily while resisting the tendency to dissolve into a pot of liquid. This makes them ideal for soups and stews where you want body without mush. The critical mistake is overcooking them in dishes where they should hold their shape, such as callaloo, curries, or fried preparations. Test doneness with a thin skewer: they should offer no resistance and feel tender through to the center, but the skewer should not pass through effortlessly as if they were overcooked vegetables. In porridges and thick soups, eddoes can be cooked more aggressively and broken down partially to create a creamy, starchy base.

Common uses

Boiled and mashed as a starchy side dish with butter and black pepper, similar to potatoes but denserFried in cubes or slices as a savory snack or side, crisping well on the exterior while remaining creamy withinAdded to soups, stews, and curries where they absorb bold seasonings without dissolvingUsed in eddoe porridge—a thick, savory porridge seasoned with scallions, thyme, and coconut milkIncorporated into callaloo and similar Caribbean leaf-and-corm stewsGround into flour for gluten-free baked goods, pancakes, and porridgesPrepared as taro or eddoe chips, sliced thin and fried until crisp

Tips & pitfalls

Wear gloves when peeling or handling raw eddoes—the calcium oxalate in the hairy skin irritates skin on contact
Score the skin in a cross pattern before boiling to help the flesh cook evenly and absorb seasonings faster
Do not overcook eddoes in soups and stews; they should remain intact and hold their shape rather than dissolving into the broth
Season the cooking liquid generously—eddoes absorb liquid and take on salt readily, more so than potatoes
Test doneness with a thin skewer: tender but with slight resistance, not falling apart
Never serve eddoes raw; the calcium oxalate crystals must be broken down by heat for both safety and proper texture
Pair with bold seasonings—scotch bonnet, fresh thyme, garlic, coconut milk, and scallions are the essential Caribbean companions

Nutrition

No USDA FoodData Central match for Eddoes yet. We surface a per-100 g profile once a generic whole-food entry is matched and verified.

In the shops

Matched grocery products

No matched grocery products for Eddoes yet.

Good to know

Scientific name: Colocasia esculenta var. globulifera
Origin: Southeast Asia; central to Caribbean and West African cuisines
Season: Year-round in tropical regions; available dried and fresh in specialty markets
Flavor: Mild, nutty, slightly sweet; earthier and denser than potato
Typical size: 2–4 inches in diameter; small, round to oval corms
Texture: Dense, creamy when cooked; fibrous hairy skin when raw
Storage: Cool, dry, dark place for 1–2 weeks; do not refrigerate
Yield: 60–70% edible after peeling and trimming
Caution: Must be cooked; raw eddoes contain calcium oxalate crystals that irritate skin and mucous membranes

Substitutes

Dasheen — The most direct substitute; a larger taro relative with smoother skin and slightly lighter texture, works in most applications
Sweet potato — More readily available in most markets; sweeter flavor but comparable cooking behavior in soups, stews, and mashes
Yukon Gold potato — Best for fried applications; milder flavor and softer texture but comparable structure and oil absorption

Pairs with

Scotch bonnet pepperFresh thymeCoconut milkGarlic and onionScallionsAckee

Also called

Taro Corm · Coco