giant elephant ear; Colocasia gigantea
A species of taro grown for its edible stems, not the corm. Often used in Japanese cuisine, especially in summer. The plant is also known as 'hasuimo' in English contexts.
The stems of giant elephant ear are used in simmered dishes and miso soup.
In summer, you can see giant elephant ear at the supermarket.
Katakana spelling is common for this plant name; usually written in kana.
Kanji form; rarely used. The kanji 蓮 (lotus) and 芋 (potato/taro) suggest the plant's appearance.
Alternate kanji form; rarely used. 白 means white, possibly referring to the color of the edible stem.
The name ハスイモ (hasuimo) literally means 'lotus potato', from 蓮 (hasu, 'lotus') and 芋 (imo, 'potato/taro'), referring to the plant's large, lotus-like leaves and its relation to taro.