A spicy, starchy delight

Laura Figueira remembers her grandmother, Virginia Mattos, going into the backyard in Kaumana, Hilo to gather breadfruit or taro and pick chile peppers, too.

She would boil the taro or breadfruit, then fry it in large pieces, seasoned with salt. Many times, she would also add chile pepper to create a spicy taro that the family would savor. Now, pre-cooked taro is available frozen in grocery stores so it is faster to prepare this dish.

Figueira says it is delicious even without the chile pepper. If you are using salted butter, cut back on the added salt to taste. We forget how flavorful taro is. This is an easy-kine local snack.