dried giant elephant ear stem from Higo province
A traditional product from Higo (present-day Kumamoto). The dried stem of the giant elephant ear plant (zuiki) is used as a food ingredient and historically also as a sex aid. The cross-reference 蓮芋 (hasuimo) is a related plant.
See also: ハスイモ
Higo-zuiki is a traditional preserved food from Kumamoto.
You rehydrate Higo-zuiki in water and then use it in simmered dishes.
Refers to the giant elephant ear plant itself or its stem, while 肥後ずいき specifically denotes the dried stem product from Higo.
Standard modern spelling using kana for ずいき.
Kanji spelling using 芋茎 for ずいき; less common.
Ateji spelling; rarely used.
肥後 (Higo, old province name) + ずいき (stem of the giant elephant ear plant). The exact origin of the sex-aid use is uncertain.