芋头在加工食品中的应用

Applications of taro in food processing

芋头是天南星科中最重要的可食品种,具有悠久的栽培历史。2,000多年来,亚洲、非洲和波利尼西亚等地区的人,一直把它当作一种农作物。芋头遍布于热带地区,现在栽培的品种可能有数千种,大致可归纳为一个种属两个亚种,即生长1个中央大块茎的“dasheen”型和生长成很多小球茎的“eddoe”型。 芋头是一种淀粉质块茎,叶子简单宽阔而叶柄长。尽管很多芋头品种的外表、风味和质地均不一致,但其某些特征仍是相似的,如外表多毛。

For years, the stems, leaves and other parts of taro have been used to produce many different types of food. In addition, it has recently been demonstrated that taro also contains a soluble gel which can be used as an emulsifier and bulking agent in food production, while the gel's dietary fiber content also makes it valuable in the production of functional foods.