A variety of taro root, dasheen is a starchy edible tuber that can be used as a potato, however, it must be cooked. Raw dasheen is toxic. The vegetable has a cream-colored to white flesh that resembles a water chestnut. It has a mild, nutty flavor when cooked. Boil the tubers to rid them of toxic calcium oxalate. Dasheen is high in vitamin C, among other nutrients, making it a healthier choice than potatoes or rice. The leaves can be used as greens, and the shoots used as vegetables.
