TARO “Colocasia esculenta”: It’s Utilization in Food Products in Ghana

In the past, only about 10% of the World population used root crops as the major staple, [1] but presently the diet of most Ghanaians is based on roots and tubers, and on processed cereal grains. The common roots and tubers utilized in Ghana are mostly cassava, yam and cocoyam. Cereals such as rice, maize and sorghum are also greatly patronized. However, there are other important roots and tubers like sweet potatoes and taro which although have high nutritional value, are not often eaten by Ghanaians. Taro can also be stored for a longer time than all other root crops, without much change in quality and taste. Roots and tubers generally serve as a major source of carbohydrate or energy and provide minor amounts of proteins, fats and oils, minerals and vitamins [2]. For example, there is a myth that the consumption of taro leads to weakness in male sexuality. Others complain of an awkward taste in boiled taro. However, with persistent problem of malnutrition and population increase in Ghana, addition of taro to the already existing common roots and tubers eaten will go a long way to help address the aforementioned problems. Thus, there is the need to exploit new and unconventional low cost and high quality energy foods like taro. In recent past, as a policy of the government of Ghana to improve the nutritional levels of the population, it put in place crop improvement programmes centered on local staple crops such as maize and rice with some emphasis on some root crops to promote some of Ghana’s lesser known root crops such as sweet potatoes and taro due to high nutritive value and ease of cultivation.