What does dasheen mean?
Dasheen is a noun referring to Colocasia esculenta, a tropical plant better known internationally as taro. Cultivated for thousands of years across Asia and the Pacific, it was carried to Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas, where it became an important food crop. The word 'dasheen' is used mainly in Caribbean English and parts of the southern United States, where it can denote either the whole plant or, more commonly in cooking contexts, its edible starchy corms. These are boiled, baked, roasted, or fried and have a dense, slightly nutty flesh similar to that of potato. The broad heart-shaped leaves are also eaten, famously in the Caribbean dish callaloo. The name derives from the French phrase 'de Chine,' meaning 'from China,' reflecting early European beliefs about the plant's origin. Dasheen carries no strong connotations; it is a plain agricultural and culinary term, valued for its regional character and its role in traditional cuisines.
A tropical Old World plant (Colocasia esculenta) of the arum family, cultivated for its edible starchy corms; taro.
"The market stalls were piled high with dasheen, yams, and sweet potatoes."
The edible corm of this plant, used as a root vegetable in Caribbean and tropical cuisines.
"Boil the dasheen until tender, then season it with butter and salt."
In cooking contexts, 'dasheen' usually means the corm itself rather than the whole plant.
When counting individual corms, 'dasheens' is standard; when referring to the crop collectively, the singular uncountable form is preferred.
"She bought three dasheens from the vendor to make soup."
Dasheen's name literally means 'from China' — it comes from the French phrase 'de Chine,' even though the plant itself originated in Southeast Asia.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dasheen
Dasheen entered English through Caribbean French creole, ultimately from the French phrase 'de la Chine' ('from China'), which was mistakenly taken to describe the plant's origin. The word spread into English during the colonial period, especially in the West Indies, where the crop had been introduced via African and Asian trade routes. It is related etymologically to other words derived from 'China' rather than sharing roots with botanical Latin terms like Colocasia, which has separate Greek origins.
Related word forms
How dasheen is actually used
Dasheen is most common in Caribbean English, especially Trinidadian and Jamaican usage, and also appears in the southern United States. It is a neutral, everyday word in these regions rather than a formal or technical term; elsewhere, 'taro' is more widely understood.
Easily confused with dasheen
Eddoe refers to a smaller, sometimes rounder variety of the same taro plant with a nuttier flavor, while dasheen typically denotes the larger main-corm type.
Malanga is a different plant entirely (Xanthosoma species) whose corms resemble those of dasheen but belong to a separate genus.