What Is Dasheen? The Caribbean Root Vegetable Explained
Dasheen is a starchy Caribbean root vegetable, a type of taro boiled as a ground provision. Here is what it is and where to buy it.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Dasheen is a starchy root vegetable widely eaten across the Caribbean, a type of taro from the plant Colocasia, with dark, rough brown skin and firm white or purple-flecked flesh. It is one of the ground provisions, the family of starchy roots that are peeled and boiled and served much like potatoes alongside stews, fish and meat. Its young leaves are used separately to make callaloo in some islands, and the root has a mild, nutty, faintly earthy taste when cooked. In the UK dasheen is sold by Caribbean and African food shops, which you can find near you on African Stores.
What to remember
- Dasheen is a starchy Caribbean root vegetable, a type of taro from the plant Colocasia.
- It has dark, rough brown skin and firm white or purple-flecked flesh.
- It is a ground provision, peeled and boiled and served like potatoes.
- Its young leaves are used to make callaloo in some islands.
- It must be cooked thoroughly and never eaten raw.
A plate of boiled dasheen beside saltfish or a piece of stewed fish is pure comfort for many Caribbean people abroad. The soft, nutty starch of it, richer and more satisfying than a potato, carries the memory of Sunday dinners and a grandmother's pot of provisions. Peeling a rough dasheen root far from home is reaching for that filling, grounding meal that always meant family and a table set with care.
There is real heritage in it too, in roots carried across oceans and grown on the islands for generations, in the everyday know-how of peeling and boiling a provision just right. To cook dasheen in Britain is to keep that tradition going, and to serve a friend their first plate of boiled provisions is to share it. That soft, earthy, comforting taste of home is the quiet gift of dasheen.
What Dasheen Actually Is
Dasheen is a starchy tuber grown across the Caribbean and other tropical regions, and it belongs to the taro family, part of the plant known botanically as Colocasia. It has a dark, rough, hairy brown skin, and once peeled the flesh inside is firm and starchy, usually white and sometimes flecked or streaked with pale purple or grey. It is closely related to other roots in the same broad family, including eddoes and cocoyam, and the names are often used loosely from one island to the next.
In Caribbean kitchens dasheen is one of the ground provisions, the group of starchy roots and tubers, yam, sweet potato, green banana, cassava and the like, that are boiled and served as the filling, comforting base of a meal. It sits right at the heart of everyday Caribbean food, the humble but essential starch that goes with fish, meat and stews. Cooked, it turns soft and slightly nutty, denser and more flavoursome than a potato, which is exactly why it is so valued.
How Dasheen Is Prepared and Cooked
Preparing dasheen begins with peeling away the rough brown skin to reach the starchy flesh, and some cooks oil their hands or wear gloves, as the raw root can leave the skin feeling itchy for a while. It is then cut into pieces and boiled in salted water until tender, at which point it is soft enough to eat on its own, to mash, or to add to a larger dish. It is important that dasheen is cooked thoroughly and never eaten raw, as the raw root is not suitable for eating and needs proper boiling to become good to eat.
Once cooked, dasheen is wonderfully versatile. It is most often simply boiled and served as a provision alongside saltfish, stewed meat or fish, soaking up the sauce and seasoning around it. It also goes into hearty soups, where it thickens the broth and adds body, and it can be mashed or used in dumplings and other dishes. Separately, the young dasheen leaves, sometimes called callaloo, are cooked down into the leafy dish of the same name in several islands, so the plant gives both a root and a green.
Why Dasheen Matters in the Caribbean
Ground provisions are the backbone of Caribbean home cooking, affordable, filling and nourishing, and dasheen is one of the most valued among them. It reflects a way of eating built around the starchy roots the land gives generously, roots that have fed families for generations and that carry a strong sense of home and heritage. A plate of provisions with dasheen, yam and green banana beside a piece of fish is honest, satisfying food that many people grew up on.
Dasheen also links the Caribbean to a much wider story, as taro is grown and loved across Africa, Asia and the Pacific, carried and cultivated wherever the climate allows. On the islands it became a staple through that long history of movement and settlement, and knowing how to choose, peel and boil a good dasheen is a piece of everyday kitchen wisdom. For many it is comfort food in the truest sense, the reliable provision that turns a simple meal into a full and grounding one.
Where to Buy Dasheen in the UK
In Britain dasheen is sold by Caribbean and African food shops, usually found among the fresh ground provisions with the yam, cassava, eddoes and green bananas. It is typically sold whole and unpeeled, with its dark rough skin on, and you may see it labelled as dasheen or taro. Choose firm, heavy roots with no soft spots, and store them somewhere cool and dry until you are ready to cook.
Remember to peel it and boil it thoroughly before eating, as dasheen should never be eaten raw. A Caribbean or African food shop that serves customers from the islands is the natural place to find good dasheen and to ask which roots are best that week. You can find African food stores near you or look up Caribbean food stores near you to see what is close. Peeled, boiled and served with fish or stew, dasheen brings the comforting, filling taste of Caribbean provisions to your table.
Frequently asked questions
What is dasheen?
Dasheen is a starchy root vegetable widely eaten across the Caribbean, a type of taro from the plant Colocasia, with dark, rough brown skin and firm white or purple-flecked flesh. It is one of the ground provisions, peeled and boiled and served much like potatoes alongside fish, meat and stews. Its young leaves are also used to make callaloo in some islands.
What does dasheen taste like?
Cooked dasheen is mild, nutty and faintly earthy, softer and denser than a potato and more flavoursome, which is why it is so valued as a provision. It readily soaks up the sauce and seasoning of whatever it is served with. Raw it should never be eaten, as it needs thorough boiling to become good to eat.
How do you cook dasheen?
Dasheen is peeled to remove the rough brown skin, then cut into pieces and boiled in salted water until tender. Some cooks oil their hands when peeling, as the raw root can make the skin feel itchy. It must be cooked thoroughly and never eaten raw, and it is served boiled as a provision, added to soups, or mashed.
Is dasheen the same as taro?
Dasheen is a type of taro, from the plant Colocasia, and the names are often used interchangeably. It is closely related to other roots in the same family, including eddoes and cocoyam, and labelling varies from shop to shop and island to island. All are starchy tubers that must be peeled and cooked thoroughly before eating.
Where can I buy dasheen in the UK?
Dasheen is sold by Caribbean and African food shops, usually among the fresh ground provisions with the yam, cassava and green bananas, often labelled as dasheen or taro. Choose firm, heavy roots with no soft spots, and remember to peel and boil it thoroughly. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you that stocks it.
