The Pantry / Elephant Foot Yam
Elephant Foot Yam
Amorphophallus paeoniifolius · Ol · suran · jimikand · oal
The root that itches until you sour it.
What it is
Elephant foot yam is a single enormous corm, rough and dark outside, with firm pale flesh finely speckled with dark flecks. Cooked, it is dense and faintly nutty, closer to a waxy potato than to a true yam. Raw, it contains calcium oxalate crystals that cause a sharp itch and throat irritation.
Where it comes from
Grown across eastern and southern India and through Southeast Asia. On the Gangetic plain and in Bengal it is an established household vegetable, and it carries ritual weight in several festivals as a food of prosperity.
What it's called
Ol · oal in Bihar and Bengal · suran or jimikand in the north and west. Elephant foot yam in English, from the appearance of the corm.
In the kitchen
Peeled thickly, cut into slices or cubes, and boiled or rubbed with tamarind, lemon or salt before frying — the acid is what neutralises the acridity, and it is not optional. Then fried until the cut faces brown, or cooked into a dry spiced curry. Oil your hands or wear gloves when peeling.
What we know about the claims
The oxalate irritation is the thing to know and it is not a myth. Beyond that it is a starchy vegetable with useful fibre; the traditional claims for piles and digestion are long-standing and unproven.
Choosing and buying
Sold in cut chunks in South Asian grocers, occasionally whole and enormous. Flesh should be firm and pale with no grey translucency. Frozen cubes are already treated and are a reasonable shortcut.