malanga

American  

[muh-lang-guh] / məˈlæŋ gə /

noun

1. a thick, fleshy-leaved South American plant, Xanthosoma atrovirens, of the arum family, having leaves up to 3 feet (90 centimeters) long and nearly 2 feet (60 centimeters) wide.

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Etymology

Origin of malanga

First recorded in 1850–55; from Latin American Spanish, from Kongo malánga “taro”

Compare meaning

How does malanga compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• malanga vs. taro
• malanga vs. yautia

Example Sentences

A month after Hurricane Ian hit Cuba, Diaz was farming malanga root, a Cuban staple that is more resilient to climate change, but less profitable than beans.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 12, 2022

We share another dinner of yuca, malanga, and plantains, and then he offers me some of the sugarcane.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar

These are cooked in a broth, thickened with a farinaceous root called malanga, and flavored with lemon juice.

From Our War with Spain for Cuba's Freedom by White, Trumbull

But the special delight of the Samoan is the malanga.

From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 17 (of 25) by Stevenson, Robert Louis

But by seven the feast was spread—there was lopu coming up, with Tali at his heels, and Misifolo bringing up the rear—and Talolo could go the malanga.

From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 18 (of 25) by Stevenson, Robert Louis