I’ve passed taro root a few times in various places – a Whole Foods, an ice cream shop in NYC, a specialty grocery market in Hoboken and most recently, on FreshDirect.

Usually, I love walking through a gorgeous Whole Foods or meandering through the Union Square Farmer’s Market for inspiration on what to cook.

It’s therapeutic and empowering – seeing the crops that farmers plant and grow is truly moving.

This time, I was sitting in my jammies, with a cup of coffee, scrolling through the “asian vegetables” on FreshDirect and spotted taro root.

For whatever reason, I added it to my cart. I thought maybe I’d dice and roast it like a potato hash and make brunch over the weekend, maybe throw in some bacon and top with a fried egg. “Yea, that’s what I’ll do!” I said.

When I went to peel it to dice it up for some prep, it struck me: why the heck aren’t I spiralizing this? Can I spiralize it?

Obviously, I tried it. It worked – way better than I expected! It’s a pain to peel, because its outer skin is very rough (similar to yuca or a celeriac.) I mean, it grows in the ground – it’s a root vegetable.

Anyway, I put it in the fridge and decided to sleep on it and when I’d wake up, I’d know what to do. Well, then I realized I’ve never tasted taro root and I don’t know what it tastes like.

So, I sauteed some quickly in a skillet and oh.my.word.

It tastes much like a sweet potato and has a lovely starchiness that makes it easily softened, like an Asian noodle. It almost has a mild coconut taste . Most importantly, it’s like a sponge – it absorbs flavor incredibly!

[insert slaps against my forehead here] How’d I miss the boat?!

Taro is most commonly found in Asia, Pacific islands, West Africa, and Amazonian regions of South America.

Nutritional benefits? While it’s higher in calories than potatoes, it’s a better source of dietary fiber, it’s packed with complex carbs, and it has a lower glycemic index, meaning it won’t cause blood sugar levels to skyrocket. Taro root also contains a solid amount of B vitamins and potassium.

Since taro does have that sweeter flavor, I thought it would pair nicely with a sticky glaze, treating this dish like a sinfully delicious Asian noodle stir fry.

With garlic, shrimp and scallions – this recipe has everything. Plus – it only takes one skillet! Talk about easy cleanup.

The pea shoots on the bottom add a freshness to the dish and soak up the flavors of the miso-ginger glaze. Frankly, they’re pretty.

I can’t wait to keep experimenting with taro root. If you can’t find it near you, try Asian specialty grocers or Whole Foods. I hope you find it and make this recipe!

Also, if you don’t know what taro looks like, here it is:

A photo posted by Ali(ssandra) Maffucci (@inspiralized) on Nov 11, 2014 at 2:13pm PST

Have you ever tried taro root before? What do you think?

Nutritional Information & Recipe

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Miso-Ginger Glazed Taro Noodles and Shrimp with Scallions and Pea Shoots

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Ingredients

• For the miso-sauce:
• 2 tablespoons white miso paste
• 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce or tamari sauce
• 1.5 teaspoon freshly minced ginger
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1.25 tablespoon honey
• 1.5 tablespoon water + more to thin if needed
• For the rest:
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove minced
• ½ cup diced scallions
• 2 medium taro roots peeled, Blade C, noodles trimmed
• 12 medium shrimp defrosted, deshelled, deveined
• 2 cups pea shoots or watercress, if you can’t find pea shoots
• salt and pepper to taste
• cilantro leaves to garnish

Instructions

• Fill a medium pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add in the taro and cook for 5 minutes or until almost cooked fully. Drain and set aside.
• Combine all of the ingredients for the miso-sauce into a food processor and pulse until creamy. Taste and adjust to your preferences. Set aside.
• Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Place a large skillet over medium heat and add in the oil. Once oil heats, add in the garlic and scallions and let cook for 2-3 minutes or until scallions soften.
• Add in the taro noodles, pour in the miso sauce, toss to combine and then add in the shrimp. Cover the skillet and cook for 3-5 minutes or until tarot noodles soften and the shrimp are opaque and cooked through.
• Prepare your plates. Fill each plate with 1 cup of pea shoots and top with even amounts of the taro and shrimp noodles. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

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