What Is Taro? Taro Root, Taro Latte and Taro Powder Explained

What taro is, how it relates to Turkish gölevez, what it tastes like, a taro latte recipe in grams and ml, the two kinds of taro powder and taro versus ube.

What is taro? What does taro mean?

Taro is a tropical plant, Colocasia esculenta, grown for its edible corm. In Türkiye the same plant is called gölevez, and in Cyprus kolokas. The starchy corm is cooked like a potato, and when it is cooked, dried and milled it becomes taro powder. The taro latte on café menus is a sweet, milky drink made from that corm. In short, taro means gölevez.

The word comes from Polynesian languages and entered world cuisine and drink menus through English. In Türkiye the same plant has been grown along the Mediterranean coast for centuries and is known at the table as gölevez yemeği, the gölevez stew. So although taro, gölevez and taro latte look like three separate topics, they all lead back to one root.

This article explains the plant and its relation to gölevez, then its taste, colour and nutritional composition, and then what cafés need: a taro latte recipe, the two kinds of taro powder and the difference from ube. It ends with what Avalon supplies and how the paid tester works.

Are taro and gölevez the same plant?

Yes. Gölevez is the Turkish name for Colocasia esculenta. Local names change by region: gölevez in Mersin and Antalya, kolokas in Cyprus, gölevez or kulkas in Hatay, qulqas in Arabic, taro in English. Botanically they are all cultivars of the same species; corm size, flesh colour and cooking time vary by cultivar.

In Türkiye, gölevez farming is concentrated in the Anamur and Bozyazı districts of Mersin and along the Alanya and Gazipaşa line in Antalya; it has also long been grown around Samandağ in Hatay. In Northern Cyprus, kolokas is the classic dish for weddings and holidays. Harvest starts in late autumn and the corms are on the markets through winter.

The gölevez stew is made in a particular way: the corm is broken into pieces from the tip rather than sliced, and not washed afterwards, so it does not turn slimy while cooking. The pieces are cooked with lamb, chicken or chickpeas, tomato paste and plenty of lemon; in Cyprus a version with celery stalks and tomato is common. The same corm goes into desserts in Asia and a main course in Türkiye; the difference is in the kitchen, not the plant.

The taro plant and taro root: how it grows, where it is produced

The taro plant belongs to the arum family (Araceae). Above ground it carries large heart-shaped leaves that can exceed one metre, which is why some countries also sell it as an ornamental. The edible part is the main corm underground and the smaller side corms around it. People call it taro root; botanically it is a stem tuber.

The plant wants plenty of water and heat and grows in wet fields, even under water like rice. Planting to harvest takes 7 to 12 months by cultivar. Frost-free, humid climates are ideal, which is why Türkiye grows it only on the Mediterranean coastal strip. The main producing regions are:

• West Africa: Nigeria, Cameroon and Ghana are the largest producers; the corm is a daily staple.
• East and Southeast Asia: China, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand; the taro powder used by the drink and dessert industry comes from here.
• The Pacific: Hawaii, Samoa, Fiji and Papua New Guinea, considered the plant's cultural homeland.
• The Mediterranean: Egypt, Cyprus, Lebanon and the southern coast of Türkiye.

What taro tastes like, and its colour

Cooked taro has a denser, drier texture than potato; the taste is mildly sweet, nutty and faintly vanilla-like. That profile is why it goes into both soups and ice cream in Asian cooking. It is never tasted raw; it must be cooked because of the calcium oxalate explained below.

On colour, honesty is required. The flesh of a taro corm is white, cream or pale lilac with fine purple flecks, and it keeps that pale tone when cooked. The vivid lavender purple on menus comes mostly from colouring added to the taro latte powder, or in some products from purple sweet potato in the blend. If the label lists a colouring, that is normal; if it does not and the product is bright purple, ask for the ingredient list.

For cafés this means the colour of a taro latte powder can vary slightly between batches. Shoot menu photos with a cup from the same batch at the same dose; customers want to receive what they saw.

Gölevez benefits and nutritional composition

Many claims circulate online under the heading of gölevez benefits; here we report only the nutritional composition. Cooked gölevez is mostly starch and water, with an energy value somewhat higher than potato. It contains dietary fibre, potassium, magnesium, manganese and some vitamin B6 and vitamin C. Its starch granules are small, which gives a velvety texture after cooking and is why the drink and dessert industry favours this corm.

It is naturally free of gluten, so it is used in gluten-free flour blends. Whether it suits a particular diet depends on the person; that decision belongs to a dietitian or physician. This article is not health advice.

An important warning: gölevez is not eaten raw. The corm and leaves contain calcium oxalate crystals, which cause burning, itching and swelling in the mouth and throat; cooking breaks them down. Peeling can make the hands itch, so gloves are used. Taro powder and taro latte powder are made from corms already cooked and dried, so the café needs no extra step.

What is a taro latte, and how is it made?

A taro latte is a sweet, creamy, lavender-coloured drink made by mixing taro powder with milk. It contains no coffee; the latte name comes from the milky presentation. It started in Taiwanese bubble tea shops, spread across Southeast Asia and then reached menus in Europe and Türkiye, where searches for taro latte doubled in the summer of 2026 compared with the months before.

In a café the most consistent result comes from a ready taro latte powder. For one serving:

1. Put 30 g of taro latte powder into the cup or shaker.
2. Add 30 ml of hot water and stir until the powder opens into a smooth paste. This step prevents lumps.
3. For a hot latte add 200 ml of steamed milk; for an iced latte add 200 ml of cold milk and ice, then shake.
4. Optionally finish with milk foam, tapioca pearls or a pinch of powder on top.

At this dose 1 kg of powder yields about 33 cups. The powder already contains sugar, so no syrup is added; for a customer who wants it less sweet, increase the milk to 250 ml. It also works with plant milks; oat milk changes the taste least.

What is taro powder? Pure taro powder versus taro latte powder

Two different products are sold under the name taro powder, and confusing them is the most common mistake:

• Pure taro powder (taro flour): cooked, dried corm, milled. No sugar, no creamer, no flavouring. The colour is pale cream or greyish lilac. It is used as a raw material, like flour, in pastry and in ice cream and mochi bases; sweetening and colouring are up to the user.
• Taro latte powder (premix): a ready blend of taro, sugar, non-dairy creamer and vanillin. The colour is purple, the taste is set and the dose is fixed. Powder, water and milk go into the cup and nothing else is needed.

For a café the choice is clear: the same cup on every shift at bar speed means the premix. A pastry shop or ice cream maker developing its own recipes may prefer pure taro powder and set sugar, colour and texture itself. The food name on the label also differs: taro powder on one, taro flavoured drink powder on the other. We collected the general criteria for choosing a beverage powder for a café menu in a separate article.

In a café, taro latte powder also goes into bubble tea, smoothies, milkshakes, frappes, ice cream bases and waffle sauce. For bubble tea the dose is the same, with brewed black tea and milk in place of plain milk and tapioca on top. For a milkshake, 30 g of powder, 150 ml of milk and two scoops of plain ice cream are enough. Keep an opened pack closed, dry and cool; powder that takes on moisture clumps.

The difference between taro powder and ube powder

Taro and ube are often confused on menus because both give a purple drink. They are different plants: taro is the corm of Colocasia esculenta; ube is the purple yam (Dioscorea alata), a root from the Philippines. Ube is naturally deep purple and tastes richer, somewhere between vanilla and pistachio. Avalon's ube powder and taro latte powder reflect this distinction; they are two different product types.

• Product type: taro latte powder is a ready premix with sugar and creamer; ube powder is an unsweetened, single-ingredient raw material powder.
• Dose: taro latte powder is used at 30 g per cup, ube powder at 10 g per cup.
• Yield: 1 kg of taro latte powder gives about 33 cups, 1 kg of ube powder about 100 cups.
• Colour: the purple of the taro premix comes mostly from colouring; the purple of ube powder is the root's own colour.
• Sugar: the taro premix comes sweetened and the sweetness cannot be changed; with ube powder the café adds and adjusts the sugar itself.
• Use: the taro premix is a no-skill drink solution for the bar; ube powder is used beyond lattes in cakes, cream fillings and ice cream, much like cocoa.

Both can sit on the same menu: the taro latte as the fast, sweet option, the ube latte as the richer option that pairs with the pastry counter. We covered ube powder uses in cafés and pastry shops and ube recipes in separate articles.

Working with Avalon

Avalon Global brings taro latte powder from Malaysia and supplies it in HoReCa packs to cafés, bubble tea shops, pastry shops and hotel kitchens in Türkiye. The product is used in lattes, bubble tea, smoothies, milkshakes, ice cream and desserts. Pack sizes and the minimum order are as stated on the product page; the spec sheet is shared on request. Prices are given by quotation, and quote and sample requests are taken through the taro latte powder product page.

Cafés that want to try first can order a paid 1 kg tester through avalontr.com/en/cafe. The first full order carries a 5 kg minimum, and the amount paid for the tester is credited against that order.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does taro mean?

Taro is the international name of the plant Colocasia esculenta and its edible corm; the word comes from Polynesian languages. In Turkish it is gölevez, in Cyprus kolokas. On menus, taro refers to the sweet, milky drinks and desserts made from that corm. On its own the search term taro can be mixed up with an actor's name in Türkiye; gölevez or taro plant gives clearer results.

Are taro and gölevez the same thing?

Yes, they are the same plant. Gölevez is the local name used on Türkiye's Mediterranean coast and in Cyprus; taro is its name in English and in world cuisine. Cultivars may differ in corm size and flesh colour, but the species is the same. The gölevez stewed in Mersin and the taro that goes into bubble tea in Taiwan are the same corm in two different kitchens.

What is a taro latte and what does it taste like?

A taro latte is a coffee-free, sweet and creamy drink made by mixing taro powder with milk, served hot or iced. The taste is mildly nutty, vanilla-like and softly sweet, reminiscent of sweet potato, with a velvety texture. The colour is lavender purple, and in most products that colour comes from colouring. In a café it is made with 30 g of powder, 30 ml of hot water and 200 ml of milk.

Where can I buy taro powder?

For cafés and bubble tea shops, ready taro latte powder is bought wholesale by quotation through Avalon's product page; it is of Malaysian origin and comes in HoReCa packs. Unsweetened, single-ingredient pure taro powder is not on Avalon's standard list; such a need is confirmed per order. A retail pack and a wholesale product differ in the food name and ingredient list on the label.

Can bubble tea be made with taro latte powder?

Yes. Taro milk tea is one of the best-selling drinks in bubble tea shops and is made with the same premix. Open 30 g of powder with 30 ml of hot water, add 100 ml of brewed and cooled black tea and 100 ml of milk, shake with ice and put cooked tapioca pearls at the bottom of the cup. The sugar is already in the premix, so no extra syrup is needed.

Taro or ube?

Both give a purple drink, but they are different plants doing different jobs. For a fast, sweet, no-skill bar drink, the taro latte premix at 30 g per cup fits. For a pastry-style café that wants to set its own sweetness, use the powder in cakes and fillings too, and work at 10 g per cup, ube powder is the better choice. On most menus the two can stand side by side.