Taro (Colocasia esculenta) is the swollen underground stem, or corm, of a large tropical aroid grown across the warm world as a staple starch. Beneath rough, fibrous brown skin lies dense white-to-greyish flesh, often flecked or veined with lilac, pink or purple; bland and acrid when raw, it turns soft, creamy and nutty with a faint sweetness once thoroughly cooked. Raw taro is mildly toxic and must always be cooked.