398 



THE AGKICULTUKAL NEWS. 



December 15, 1917. 



THE USES OF DASHEENS, TANNIAS, 



AND EDDOES. 



Among the most valuable economic crops of tropical 

 and sub-tropical legions are certain species of the Arum 

 faiiiily. These belong almost exclusively to the genera 

 Xanthosoina and Colocasia. They are known in the West 

 Indies as tannias and eddoes, or 'cocoes' in Jamaica, and 

 one of the Colocatias (C. antiquorum) — which is only 

 cultivated in the welter islands, such as Trinidad and 

 Dominica — is known as 'dasheen". This is apparently 

 identical with the 'taro' of the Polynesian Islands, and has 

 apparently been introduced into the West Indies in compara- 

 tively recent times. When it was first cultivated in Trinidad 

 the writer of this article does not know, but in an article 

 in the YtarhooJc of the United States Department of 

 Agriculture, 1916, it is stated that a variety of the taro 

 has been introduced into the Southern States from Trinidad, 

 and is rapidly becoming established as a factor in the 

 agriculture of those States, under the name of 'dasheen' by 

 which it is known in Trinidad. 



The article referred to states that, as the dasheen contains 

 about 50 per cent, more protein, and 50 per cent, more 

 starch and sugar than the potato, it would be a cheaper 

 food at equal prices. This crop is best suited for cultivation 

 in rich moist soils, and requires about seven months to mature. 

 The name 'dasheen' seems probably to be a French West 

 Indian patois corruption of 'de la Chine', in vague allusion 

 to its e.xotic origin. Mr. J. .Tones, the Curator of the Botanic 

 Station in Dominica, thinks that this is most probable, as the 

 patois-speaking inhabitants of that island si eak of a variety 

 of orange as 'orange dasheen', and we have long spoken in 

 English of 'China oranges'. Mr. Jones says that the dasheen 

 was introduced into Dominica from the neighbouring French 

 island of Martinique about thirty years ago, and has become 

 one of the most widely grown and popularly esteemed veget- 

 ables in Dominica. Throughout the West Indies, however, 

 there have always been cultivated other species of Colocasia 

 or eddoes, and many varieties of Xanthosoma.or tannias, 

 although the names are hopelessly confused by local usage 

 in various islands. Both of these genera are related to 

 the showy Caladiums and Alocasias cultivated as garden 

 plants; these two genera, however, not being of food 

 • value. An easy way of distinguishing between the 

 tannia {Xanthosoina) and the eddoe or dasheen (Colocasia) 

 is that the leaf of the former is sagittate or arrow shaped, 

 that is, the leaf is attached to the stalk at its upper 

 margin, and is the shape of au arrowhead, whereas 

 the leaf of the latter is joined to the stalk more or less 

 towards its middle, and so is denominated peltate, or 

 shield-shaped. 



Varieties of both of these genera must have been 

 cultivated by various races of men for thousands of years, 

 for some of them have lost the habit of producing fertile 

 seeds, even under the most favourable conditions,and are only 

 vegatatively repioduceJ by cuttings from the rhizomes. 



In all the cultivated species the rhizome is the part of 

 the plant that is of chief economic value, though the leaves, 

 and especially the unopened leaf shoots are not to be lightly 

 isteemed. These plants are widely grown not only in 

 tropical America, but throughout Polytesia, and in parts of 

 China and Japan, thus forming a valuable article of food for 

 ■millions of the human race. Wherever grown they are con- 

 sidered very nutritious and easily digesiible. 



In furtherance of the wise policy referred to in another 

 iirticle of thi.-^ issue, the Bureau of Agriculture collected varie- 

 ties of ll.ese aroids from every part of the world where they 

 were grown; and after field tests made in experiment stations 



in the Southern States, it was concluded that the Trinidad' 

 dasheen was most worthy of cultivation in that region, as- 

 being best adapted to the climatic conditions. 



Hence, as was said before, a considerable interest i.s 

 being shown in its culture and uses. West Indian, especially 

 Barbadian, planters are well acquainted with the methods 

 of cultivating the various tannias and eddoes for the sake 

 of their rhizomes, but the article, in the Yearboak, to 

 which reference has already been made, describes a method 

 of cultivation for a purpose which, as far as the writer 

 of this article knows, has never been practi.sed in these 

 i-slands, but which seems well worth a trial. As has been 

 stated in a former number of this Journal, the lexves, 

 especially the young unopened ones of tannias or eddoes, 

 can be used to provide an excellent spinach. In the South- 

 ern States however, the large corms of the dasheen are 

 forced, in order to provide blanched shoots. For this forcing 

 and blanching large corms are planted in a bed of moist 

 sandy soil, and the bed is closely covered with boarding to 

 exclude light, so that the shoots may be thoroughly blanched. 

 It is said that these blanched shoots are more tender thau 

 asparagus, and have a delicate flavour, not unlike that of 

 fresh mushrooms. They contain, however, a slight acridity, 

 which is destroyed by proper cooking. The following are 

 given as good recipes for cooking these blanched shoots: — 



(1) Cut the blanched shoots into 2-inch lengths, pour 

 on an abundance of boiling water, add salt to taste, and boil 

 for 12 minutes: drain, pour on enough cold milk to completely 

 cover shoots; bring it to the boil, season if necessary with 

 more salt, and continue boiling for 5 minutes; drain, season 

 with butter, and serve on toast, or plain, with a milk sauce. 



(2) Instead of boiling in milk after the first draining, 

 add a little piece of butter or bacon, then cover the shoots 

 with cold water, season with salt, and boil for 5 minutes. 

 1 )rain and serve. 



Neither the cultivation nor the cooking of these shoots 

 seems very difficult ^probably any cultivated tannia or eddoe 

 could be treated in this way successfully. Should any of our 

 readers care to experiment in the direction, we shall be very 

 grateful for any account of the results obtained. 



The article from which the foregoing recipes are taken 

 contained directions for cooking dasheens in very many ways. 

 It is considered that baking is the most satisfactory method 

 in general of cooking either large or small dasheens. The 

 large corms should, however, be first parboiled for ten tf> 

 twenty minutes. 



Dasheen crisps are made in the following manner: raw 

 dasheens are pared, and sliced thin, and fried slowly U> 

 a light brown in deep fat. This is declared by some epicures 

 to be the most delicious of all ways of preparing dasheens 

 for the table. 



DOWN THE ISLANDS. 



ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST. 



.ST. LU(:i.\. The Agricultural Superintendent, Mr. Archi- 

 bald Brooks, in his notes on items of departmental interest 

 during the month of October, reports the following plant 

 distribution from tlm Exptriment Stations: limes 3,400, 

 grafted mangoes 15, budded oranges 50, economic plants G, 

 and ornamental plants 29. In addition 1 packet of vegetable 

 seeds was sent out. 



Regarding staple crops, ihe condition of cacao is reported 

 normal; the lime crop is slackening, but extension in culti- 

 vation continued good; while the sugar crop is reported as pro- 

 mising: a considerable shortage of manure, however, is noted« 



