If you're looking for fresh taro root near you in Los Angeles, we sell it by the pound at Anoras Cash N Carry, 567 S Fairfax Ave, in the Fairfax District. It sits in our fresh produce section alongside the other vegetables that are hard to find anywhere else in the city. You'll know it by the shaggy brown skin and the rings around it, like a small hairy barrel.

Most people who search for taro root are looking for one of three things: the big purple-flecked corm used in boba and desserts, the smaller variety Indian cooks call arbi, or the leaves for patra. We carry the root fresh, and the leaves in prepared form. Here's how to tell them apart, how to handle taro without the itch, and what to actually do with it once you get it home.

What is taro root, and what do Indian cooks call it?

Taro is Colocasia esculenta, a starchy corm that grows underground the way a potato does, though the two aren't related. It's one of the oldest cultivated food plants in the world, eaten across South Asia, West Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific.

In Indian kitchens it goes by a different name in nearly every state. It's arbi or arvi in Hindi and Punjabi, alu in Gujarati and Marathi, chembu in Malayalam, seppankizhangu in Tamil, chamadumpa in Telugu, and kesavina gedde in Kannada. If someone in your family calls it any of those, they mean this.

Cooked properly it turns soft and faintly sweet, with a texture closer to a waxy potato than a floury one. It holds its shape in a curry instead of collapsing, which is exactly why it earns its place in a sabzi.

Takeaway: arbi, alu, chembu and seppankizhangu are all the same vegetable — ask for taro root and you'll get it.

Why does raw taro make your hands itch?

This is the question we get most often at the counter, and it's worth answering properly because it's a safety point, not a quirk.

Raw taro contains needle-shaped calcium oxalate crystals. When you peel it, those crystals catch in your skin and cause an itch that can last a while. Eat it raw or undercooked and they'll irritate your mouth and throat the same way. Taro should never be eaten raw. Thorough cooking breaks the crystals down, which is why every traditional preparation boils, steams, pressure-cooks, or deep-fries it — and why a little acid, like tamarind, lemon or amchur, usually turns up in the recipe too.

Two things make peeling painless. Rub a little oil on your hands first, or wear gloves. And if you boil the whole corms in their skins for ten minutes before peeling, the skin slips off and the itch never starts. That's the way most cooks do it.

Takeaway: oil your hands or boil it skin-on first, and always cook it through.

How do you pick good taro root?

Pick it up. It should feel heavy and completely firm, with no give anywhere, especially at the ends. Soft patches mean it's already turning. Look at the cut end if there is one — you want clean white or cream flesh flecked with purple, not grey, and no fuzz or damp spots.

Smaller corms, roughly the size of an egg, are the ones you want for arbi sabzi and frying. They're firmer, less watery, and hold together better. The large ones the size of a football are a different variety, better suited to boiling and mashing or to desserts and boba.

Takeaway: firm and heavy, dry skin, no soft ends — and go small if you're making sabzi.

How should you store it?

Keep it out of the fridge. Taro is a tropical crop and cold storage makes it deteriorate faster, not slower. A paper bag or an open basket in a cool, dark, dry spot in your kitchen is right. Don't wash it until you're ready to cook, because damp skin invites mould.

Stored that way it'll keep about a week, sometimes two. Once you've peeled or cut it, cook it the same day.

Takeaway: cool, dark and dry on the counter — never the fridge, never washed in advance.

What do you actually cook with arbi?

A few preparations come up again and again, and they're all worth knowing.

Arbi fry is the gateway. Boil the corms until a knife goes through easily, peel, flatten each one gently with your palm, then shallow-fry until the edges crisp. Finish with amchur, red chilli and salt. It eats like the best roast potato you've had.

Arbi masala takes the boiled pieces into a tomato-onion base with ajwain and a pinch of hing. Those two aren't decorative — they're the traditional pairing for heavy, starchy vegetables, and the dish tastes flatter without them.

In sambar and kadhi, taro behaves beautifully. It soaks up the tamarind and the spice without falling apart, which is more than you can say for most root vegetables. Add fresh curry leaves and you're most of the way to a South Indian lunch.

If you're already shopping our produce aisle for this, the vegetables next to it are worth a look: tindora, karela and fresh methi leaves come in on the same deliveries.

Takeaway: boil first, then fry or curry — and don't skip the ajwain and hing.

What about taro leaves — is that patra?

Yes. Patra, also called alu vadi or pathrode, is made from the big heart-shaped taro leaves, spread with a spiced besan paste, rolled, steamed and then sliced and fried. Same plant, different part.

Fresh taro leaves are seasonal and need the same careful cooking the root does, for the same reason. If you'd rather skip the rolling, we stock Garvi Gujarat sliced patra, already made and ready to fry, which is what most of our customers reach for on a weeknight.

Takeaway: patra is taro leaves, and the ready-made frozen version is a genuinely good shortcut.

Where can I buy fresh taro root near me in Los Angeles?

At our store. Taro root is sold fresh by the pound at Anoras Cash N Carry, 567 S Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036 — minutes from The Grove, walking distance from LACMA, and next door to Park La Brea. We're open every day, 10 AM to 9 PM.

Because it's fresh produce, quantities move with the delivery schedule, so it's worth calling ahead on (323) 272-3617 if you need a large amount for a function. Otherwise just come by — the produce section is near the front.

If you'd rather not make the trip, you can order online and we'll deliver within 10 miles of the store, usually in 45 to 60 minutes, any day between 10 AM and 8 PM. Delivery is a flat $7.98 with a $35.97 minimum, and it's free over $99. Outside that radius, order online and collect it free at the register — there's no minimum on pickup and it's ready in about an hour. More about shopping with us in Los Angeles.

Frequently asked questions

Is taro root the same as arbi?

Yes. Arbi, arvi, alu, chembu, seppankizhangu and chamadumpa are all regional Indian names for taro root. It's the same vegetable — Colocasia esculenta.

Can you eat taro root raw?

No. Raw taro contains calcium oxalate crystals that irritate the mouth and throat, so it must be cooked thoroughly — boiled, steamed, pressure-cooked or fried — before eating.

How do you stop taro root from itching your hands?

Rub oil on your hands or wear gloves before peeling, or boil the corms whole in their skins for about ten minutes first and slip the skins off afterwards. Both work.

Should taro root be kept in the fridge?

No. Store it somewhere cool, dark and dry, unwashed, and it'll keep roughly a week. Refrigeration makes taro spoil faster rather than slower.

Where can I buy fresh taro root in Los Angeles?

Anoras Cash N Carry at 567 S Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036 sells fresh taro root by the pound, seven days a week from 10 AM to 9 PM, with local delivery within 10 miles and free in-store pickup.