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~~Malanga is a root vegetable popular in the tropics and South America. In Florida, malanga is the most popular form of cocoyam, which is a general name applied to several species of

Xanthosoma. It is also called yautia, cocoyam, eddo, coco, tannia, sato-imo, and Japanese

potatoes. Leafy species of Xanthosoma not grown for tubers are called belembe and calalous.

There are actually two different malangas: Malanga blanca (Xantyosoma sagittifikium), considered the true malanga, which grows on dry land. The other is malanga amarillo (Colocasia esculenta) which grows in wet bog-like areas.

Generally, malanga resembles dasheen (taro) and the elephant-ear plant with large green leaves about 2 feet wide by 2 1/2 feet long. The malanga plant may attain a height of 5 feet or

more. Edible tubers (cormels) are formed in the soil at the base of the plant. A central large tuber (corm) is formed, with a cluster of cormels, grayish brown to black lateral tubers, around it. Malanga are about the size and shape of a regular white potato; they look a little like an overgrown gladiola bulb, because the outside skin of the malanga is brown and somewhat

hairy. It generally weighs 1/2 to 2 pounds, but can be heavier. The interior has an extremely crisp texture and can vary in color from cream, yellow or pink.

Malanga is widely grown and used in the tropics. In South Florida, it has been grown in small patches for many year s and on a limited commercial sale since ***3 to meet the demands of Latin Americans living here.

In Cuban markets, Malanga islena is actually taro root, not Malanga root. Malanga amarilla, or yellow malanga, has the barrel-shape of taro, but is truly Malanga. Experts on the subject claim that this apricot- to yellow-fleshed tuber is the only Malanga in which the rounded central corm is eaten instead of the smaller irregularly club-shaped surrounding cormels. Called Malanga in Cuba, Puerto Ricans call it yautia.