Mafafa: what it is, which parts are eaten and how to cook it

What is it?

The mafafa is a large tropical plant belonging to the species Xanthosoma robustum, of the Araceae family, cultivated and used in south-eastern Mexico for its tender leaves and edible rhizome. It grows in humid areas and low forests of Veracruz, Tabasco, Chiapas, Oaxaca and the Yucatán Peninsula, where it reaches up to three metres in height and develops large arrow- or heart-shaped leaves, similar to those of taro or malanga. In the traditional cuisine of the Mexican tropics, its young leaves are used as a cooked quelite, as a wrapping for tamales or as an ingredient in brothy stews, while the rhizomes are eaten boiled, fried or in soups. It is a close relative of taro (Colocasia esculenta) and of other species of the genus Xanthosoma grown throughout the American and Caribbean tropics.

Origin and history

The mafafa has been part of the Mesoamerican and Caribbean agricultural repertoire since pre-Hispanic times. The genus Xanthosoma is native to the humid American tropics, where it was domesticated by indigenous peoples who made use of both its tubers and its leaves. In Mexico, the Totonac, Popoluca, Zoque and Maya cultures consumed these plants before the arrival of the Spanish, integrating them into their diet along with cassava, sweet potato and other tropical roots. Fray Bernardino de Sahagún and other colonial chroniclers described similar tubers in their accounts of New Spain, although the precise distinction between malanga, mafafa and taro was not stabilised until the botanical systematisation of the nineteenth century. CONABIO documents several species of the genus Xanthosoma in Mexico, among them X. robustum and X. sagittifolium. After the conquest, the mafafa spread to Africa and Oceania through colonial trade, where it is now known as new cocoyam. Its consumption in Mexico has remained continuous in rural communities of the Gulf and the south-east, where it is associated with peasant and subsistence cuisine.

Characteristic ingredients

Xanthosoma robustum is a perennial herbaceous plant with a thick underground rhizome from which large peltate arrow-shaped leaves sprout, supported by long fleshy petioles. Its leaves can measure more than a metre in length. The edible parts are the tender leaves, the young petioles and the central rhizome; all require prolonged cooking to eliminate the calcium oxalate crystals that would otherwise irritate the throat. In Veracruz, the leaves are cooked, chopped and prepared in stews with tomato, chilli and lard, in battered fritters or as wrappings for masa tamales. In Tabasco and Chiapas the rhizome is boiled and served as a side, similar to cassava; it is also incorporated into thick soups and peasant broths. The plant is frequently confused with malanga (X. sagittifolium) and with Asian taro; all three are edible but show differences in tuber size, flavour and cold resistance.

Cultural significance

The mafafa is a strategic food of the rural cuisine of the Mexican tropics and an important component of the food security of Nahua, Zoque, Popoluca and Maya communities of the Gulf and the south-east. Its capacity to produce both foliage and tuber in poor soils and flood-prone areas makes it a crop resilient to climate change, according to reports by INIFAP and SADER. It forms part of the record of indigenous cuisines of the Mexican tropics and is considered a regional agri-food heritage. At the carnival of Tuxtepec, Oaxaca, and at patron saint feasts of Tabasco, tamales wrapped in mafafa leaf are ritual dishes. The plant also has an ornamental role in tropical gardens for its large size and elegance. Contemporary regional cuisine movements, such as those led by chefs in Veracruz and Tabasco, have revalued the mafafa as an identity ingredient of the south-east, presenting it at gastronomic festivals alongside chaya, chipilín and hoja santa.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between mafafa and malanga?

Mafafa and malanga are regional names that designate species of the genus Xanthosoma, related but distinct. Mafafa usually refers to Xanthosoma robustum, a larger plant grown mainly for its leaves; malanga corresponds to Xanthosoma sagittifolium, grown above all for its tuber. Both are consumed in Mexico, but the names are used interchangeably depending on the region.

What does mafafa taste like?

The cooked leaves of mafafa have a mild, slightly earthy herbal flavour, similar to that of spinach or chard but with a fleshier texture. The tuber is reminiscent of the flavour of taro or malanga: starchy, slightly sweet and with a hazelnut undertone when cooked or fried. It combines well with tomato, chilli, garlic and lard.

How is mafafa served?

The leaves are always cooked before being eaten to eliminate oxalates. They are prepared in stews with tomato and chilli, in fritters with egg, as a wrapping for tamales or chopped in soups and broths. The rhizome is boiled and served as a side, similar to cassava; it is also used to thicken soups or fried in slices. In Tabasco it is incorporated into pejelagarto and beef stews.

Where does the mafafa come from?

The mafafa is native to the humid American tropics, with its area of origin between south-eastern Mexico, Central America and northern South America. In Mexico, its main areas of cultivation and consumption are Veracruz, Tabasco, Chiapas, Oaxaca and the Yucatán Peninsula, where it grows in warm humid climates. After the conquest it spread to the Caribbean, Africa and South-East Asia as a subsistence crop.