GOVPH

Gabi or taro is the most eaten vegetable in the Philippines, says Prof. Nestor C. Altoveros from the University of the Philippines Los Banos-Institute of Crop Science. Prof. Altoveros found this fact while visiting 14 provinces all over the country to document indigenous vegetables that Filipinos include in their everyday dishes. Their team saw that all parts of gabi or scientifically named as Colocasiaesculenta--from the roots up to its leaves--are cooked in recipes like laing or taro leaves with coconut milk, pastilas (candy), sinigang(stewed), ginataanggabi or taro root in coconut milk. According to him, a vegetable can be considered as indigenous if the plant is underutilized, low-cost, nutritious, endemic in the country or was brought in the country during the colonial period. Dr. Altoveroswas speaker in the forum “Rediscover the Philippines One Vegetable at a Time” on 19 July 2019, the third of the five-day National Science and Technology Week of the Department of Science and Technology at World Trade Center, Gil Puyat Avenue, Pasay City.