Taro, known in Hawaiian as kalo, is a starchy root crop that holds a place in Hawaiian culture unlike any other food plant. It is both a dietary staple and a sacred ancestor. Polynesians brought it to the islands centuries ago, and Hawaiians eventually cultivated dozens of distinct varieties, growing them in flooded paddies and rain-fed fields across every major island except Kahoʻolawe. Today, Hawaii produces roughly 4.8 million pounds of taro annually, valued at $6.4 million.
The Plant Itself
Taro (Colocasia esculenta) is a tropical plant that grows up to about three feet tall, with large heart-shaped leaves that can reach 18 inches long. The leaves sit on long stalks that range from green to deep purple. Underground, the plant produces a starchy corm, which is the part most people eat. The variety grown primarily in Hawaii develops one large central corm rather than clusters of smaller ones.
Every part of the plant has a Hawaiian name and a use. The corm is the base ingredient for poi. The leaves, called lūʻau, are cooked as greens and used to wrap other foods. Even the stalks find their way into traditional dishes. The plant thrives in warm, wet conditions, and Hawaii’s climate suits it well, particularly in areas with consistent rainfall like Hanalei Valley on Kauaʻi and the windward sides of the Big Island.
Why Kalo Is Sacred in Hawaiian Culture
Taro’s importance in Hawaii goes far beyond agriculture. In Hawaiian cosmology, taro is family. The origin story centers on Wākea, the Sky Father, and Hoʻohōkūkalani, who had a stillborn child. The gods wrapped the baby in leaves and buried him, and from that spot the first taro plant grew. They named it Hāloanakalaukapalili, meaning “the long stem whose leaves tremble in the wind.”
When Hoʻohōkūkalani later gave birth to a healthy boy, they named him Hāloa in honor of his elder brother, the taro plant. Hāloa became the ancestor of all Hawaiian people. This makes taro, quite literally, the older sibling of humanity in Hawaiian tradition. The relationship carries a reciprocal obligation: taro nourishes the people, and the people care for the land that grows taro. This concept, mālama ʻāina, remains central to Hawaiian identity today.
Poi and Other Traditional Foods
Poi is the most iconic taro food in Hawaii. Making it is straightforward but labor-intensive: taro corms are steamed or baked until soft, then pounded and mixed with water into a smooth, sticky paste. Fresh poi tastes mild and starchy, sometimes slightly sweet. Left at room temperature for a few days, it undergoes a natural fermentation driven by lactic acid bacteria. Within the first 24 hours, the pH drops from around 6.3 to 4.5, and the flavor turns distinctly sour. Many people prefer this tangy, fermented version. The bacteria involved, including Lactobacillus and Lactococcus, are the same types valued in other fermented foods like yogurt.
Taro shows up across Hawaiian cooking in forms that go well beyond poi. Laulau is made by wrapping pork and salted butterfish in taro leaves, then encasing the bundle in ti leaves and steaming it until tender. The leaves cook down into something rich and almost spinach-like. Kulolo is a dense, chewy dessert made from grated raw taro, coconut milk, and sugar, then baked slowly until it firms into a pudding. Luau stew combines taro leaves with octopus or squid in coconut cream, creating a hearty dish that appears at gatherings and celebrations.
Nutritional Value
Cooked taro corm provides about 5 grams of dietary fiber and 484 milligrams of potassium per serving, making it comparable to a sweet potato in terms of nutrient density. It has a medium glycemic index and low glycemic load, so it raises blood sugar more gradually than white rice or bread. Clinical trials in healthy adults confirmed this moderate glycemic response, which is one reason taro has long been considered a sustaining, slow-energy food.
Poi specifically has a reputation as an easy-to-digest food, and it has traditionally been one of the first solid foods given to Hawaiian infants. The fermentation process increases populations of health-promoting lactic acid bacteria, which may offer digestive benefits similar to other naturally fermented foods.
Why You Can’t Eat It Raw
Raw taro contains needle-shaped calcium oxalate crystals, each about 50 micrometers long, that cause intense burning and irritation in the mouth and throat. This is why taro must always be cooked before eating. Interestingly, cooking doesn’t actually break down the calcium oxalate chemically. What it does is physically destroy the needle-like crystals. After two hours of steaming at boiling temperature, the crystals shrink by about 80% in length and drop by roughly 70% in number, leaving only short, blunted fragments that no longer cause irritation. This is why traditional Hawaiian preparation involves thorough, prolonged cooking.
Wetland and Dryland Cultivation
Hawaii grows taro two ways. Wetland taro, called loʻi taro, is cultivated in flooded paddies fed by diverted stream water. This method produces the majority of Hawaii’s crop, accounting for about 55% of total production and just over half the market value. Loʻi taro is prized for making high-quality poi with good texture and consistent fermentation.
Upland or dryland taro grows in regular soil with rainfall or irrigation rather than standing water. It accounts for only about 5% of production but serves different culinary purposes. Upland corms tend to have higher dry matter content, making them better suited for eating as table taro (simply steamed or roasted) and for making kulolo. Their poi tends to be lower quality, with less desirable texture and fermentation characteristics. Varieties like Eleele Makoko, a purple-fleshed taro from Kona, are well adapted to upland growing. The remaining 40% of Hawaii’s taro production by weight is luau leaf, harvested specifically for cooking greens.
Growing upland taro comes with its own challenges. Root-knot nematodes are a persistent problem that can damage both yield and corm quality. Inconsistent watering, poor wind protection, and nutrient imbalances all reduce harvests. Crop rotation and building up organic matter in the soil are important for long-term disease prevention in dryland fields.
Taro’s Place in Modern Hawaii
Despite its deep roots, taro farming in Hawaii is a relatively small industry. The state’s entire 2021 crop of 4.8 million pounds came from a limited number of farms, and Hawaii imports additional taro to meet demand. Poi can be found in grocery stores across the islands, sold fresh in bags or plastic containers, but its price reflects the labor-intensive process behind it.
For many Native Hawaiians, taro cultivation is an act of cultural continuity rather than just agriculture. Community loʻi projects across the islands teach younger generations how to grow and process kalo, reconnecting them with the land and the story of Hāloa. The plant remains a living symbol of the relationship between people and place that defines Hawaiian identity.