Finally have been able to source a copy of Peter Matthews book On the Trail of Taro. Peter was one of the first to study the Maori taros of New Zealand over 40 years ago and is still studying taro and its interaction with culture to this day. A true legend in the field of taro.
I’ve said before that it’s often a slow process for ideas from science to make their way into gardening knowledge, and so hopefully once I’ve read the book I will have some important information to bring back.
The book is sitting next to a purple-stem (pink-fleshed?) pointed-leaf Samoan cultivar (top left), Xanthosoma (top right mostly out of frame), unknown RP type cultivar (top right just above book), and a small Maori RR variety (far left). We’re currently growing over 10 taro type species and varieties (with a few more to source remaining) and will beginning taste tests once we have enough plant material.