Braised Yam with Minced Pork 芋头烩肉

Yam is the corm root of Calocasia esculenta.  It is also known as Cocoyam, Taro, Keladi (Malay), 芋头 (Mandarin).

The plant is inedible when raw and considered toxic due to the presence of calcium oxalate.  The toxin is minimized by cooking, or soaked in cold water overnight.  Calcium oxalate is highly insoluble and contributes to kidney stones, gout, or rheumatoid arthritis.

A common yam dishes I loved is Braised Yam with Minced Pork, ( or alternatively boneless chicken meat ).

It’s an easy-to-prepare dish, simply simmer cubed yam with sautéed minced pork and dried prawns.  A little bit of black pepper powder enhanced the flavour evenmore.  It is starchy, sweet with unique taste.