Samoan Pink Taro

A Taro With History, Flavour and Genuine Beauty

Not all taros are equal, and the Samoan Pink is one of the finest. Originally from Samoa, where taro — known as talo — has been cultivated for centuries as a cornerstone of both diet and cultural life, this variety brings together ornamental appeal, culinary quality and a story worth telling in equal measure.

It is, by most accounts, one of the best tasting taros in cultivation. The corms are sweet, nutty and starchy in the way that good taro should be — versatile in the kitchen, absorbing flavours generously in curries and stews, equally at home baked, boiled or worked into the rich Samoan dish palusami with taro leaves, coconut cream and onion. Both the corms and the leaves are edible when properly cooked, which neutralises the calcium oxalate crystals present in the raw plant.

Ornamental as Well as Edible

The Samoan Pink earns its place in the garden on looks alone. The broad, lush leaves and robust, handsome habit make it a popular ornamental variety, particularly around ponds and water features where the consistent moisture suits it perfectly and the bold foliage reflects beautifully on the water’s surface. It is the kind of edible plant that doesn’t ask to be hidden in the vegetable garden — it belongs in the ornamental landscape, pulling double duty as a food plant and a genuinely attractive garden specimen.

A Plant of Cultural Depth

In Samoa and across the Pacific, taro is more than food — it is woven into ceremony, community and identity in a way that few crops anywhere in the world can claim. Growing the Samoan Pink is a small connection to that history, and for Pacific Island communities in Australia it carries a significance that goes well beyond the kitchen.