After this morning's post, I dug up the tubers for 4 of the plants (I think I left a 5th one behind, but the top growth was already gone). I'm concerned about the possibility that I might have harmed my Hodgsonia by disturbing the root zone, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see. According to
this forum post, it's normal for the plants to die back to the roots on a yearly basis, and also J. chocola prefers shade.
The root clusters were vaguely reminiscent of cassava, though much smaller. I washed a few and tasted one raw... The texture was like water chestnut, and it had a pleasant nuttiness and somewhat strong earthiness, both of which were masked by a sharp bitter aftertaste. The pleasant notes were outweighed by the unpleasant aftertaste.
I cooked the other washed roots in salty water for 30 minutes. The flavor was somewhat potato-like, distinct from the raw taste, but though less intense, the sharp aftertaste remained. I wish to emphasize that it was an aftertaste; it's not the first flavor to develop on the tongue, and it's felt at the back of the mouth just prior to swallowing; it's subtle in a way, but nevertheless feels sharp once you've taken notice of it. I wouldn't find them objectionable to eat infrequently in small quantities, but they're definitely not a favorite. The bulk of the flavor seemed promising, but that sharp aftertaste detracted from the experience.
I still have roots left over from all four plants. I'm not sure how they'll fare given that I've broken some of the clusters, and given how finicky the plants have been (the sixth tuber I had planted never re-sprouted, and I didn't find it on digging), but I might be willing to re-plant them to find out if they can be multiplied from broken tubers, and to see if I can get some fruit (I know I have a male and I suspect I have a female - the big one had solitary flower buds like on female papayas).
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