Pulaka

A muddy marsh where Pulaka grows
A pit that Pulaka is grown in.

Pulaka, Cyrtosperma merkusii, or swamp taro, is a crop grown mainly in Tuvalu and an important source of carbohydrates for the area's inhabitants.[1][2] It is a "swamp crop" similar to taro,[3] but "with bigger leaves and larger, coarser roots."[4] The same plant is known as pulaka in Niue, babai in Kiribati, puraka in Cook Islands, pula’a in Samoa, via, via kana or via kau in Fiji, pulaka in Tokelau, simiden in Chuuk, swam taro in Papua New Guinea, and navia in Vanuatu.[5]

Pulaka roots need to be cooked for hours to reduce toxicity in the corms, but are rich in nutrients, especially calcium.[6] Pulaka is an important part of Tuvalu cultural and culinary tradition, now under threat from rising sea level and displacement from the growing use of imported food products.

See also: Agriculture in Tuvalu
  1. ^ Koch, Gerd (1990) [1983]. The material culture of Tuvalu. Institute of Pacific Studies, University of the South Pacific. p. 46. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  2. ^ Randy Thaman, Feagaiga Penivao, Faoliu Teakau, Semese Alefaio, Lamese Saamu, Moe Saitala, Mataio Tekinene and Mile Fonua (2017). "Report on the 2016 Funafuti Community-Based Ridge-To-Reef (R2R)" (PDF). Rapid Biodiversity Assessment of the Conservation Status of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (BES) In Tuvalu. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-05-25. Retrieved 25 May 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ "Tuvalu could lose root crop". Radio New Zealand. 17 September 2008. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
  4. ^ "Leaflet No. 1 - Revised 1992 - Taro". Food and Agriculture Organization. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
  5. ^ "Pacific Food Security Tookit Module 4 - Pacific Root Crops" (PDF). FAO.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference un was invoked but never defined (see the help page).