Jolene Lanning and husband Earl of Waipio Good Eats on Hawaii Island make delicious burgers out of taro. I don’t have her recipe, but I was inspired to invent this version after tasting hers. Her unexpected ingredient? The addition of guava jam or jelly to add complexity. An egg, garlic, salt and pepper also give this a good flavor. Half of the taro is mashed to bind everything together. The other half is kept in 1/4-inch cubes for a chunky texture as you panfry the mixture. Use a cookie dough scoop for appetizer-sized patties or larger sized taro burgers. Both are tasty.

Taro Bites

Ingredients:

• 2 cups taro, 1/4-inch cubes

• 1 large egg, beaten

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• 1 1/2 tablespoons guava jam or jelly

• Oil to pan fry

Directions:

With a fork, mash 1 cup of the taro. Add egg, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix in guava jam. Add in unmashed taro and mix thoroughly. Divide into meatball-sized portions and flatten. Heat a skillet to medium high and add oil. Fry taro bites until cooked and browned, about 4-5 minutes each side. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Makes about 16 to 20 1-inch bites.

Lynette Lo Tom has written three cookbooks and loves hearing about home cooks. Visit lynettecooks.com for more information.