Leren

Lerenes (Calathea allouia) are small, potato-like tubers that are of local importance in Puerto Rico and other Caribbean areas. They are called Guinea arrowroot in many other parts of the world. The tubers remain crisp after boiling, a characteristic which makes them very palatable. They are usually cooked by boiling in water for 15 to 20 minutes and have a flavor similar to that of cooked green maize. As well as being eaten on their own, lerenes can be an ingredient in salads, mayonnaise and fish dishes.   The plant itself is erect and has four to ten long leaves (averaging 1 meter in length). The tubers grow underground, and the plant is propagated by rhizomes. Once harvested, the lerenes are stored in a cool, dry place until they are to be consumed or planted. Lerenes were domesticated in the New World long before the arrival of Columbus. They were originally cultivated in Puerto Rico by the Taínos people, who were skilled farmers. In fact, the name of the plant, leren, is not Spanish, but from the Taíno vocabulary.   It is rare to find lerenes for sale on the market in Puerto Rico. It is more often found as a wild crop. Many, particularly among the younger generations, are unaware of existence. Although it is easy to grow and has few pests, it is not regularly used in modern-day Puerto Rican cooking, and is endanger of becoming extinct due to lack of culinary use and commercial promotion due to a lack of producers.   Increasing abandonment of this plant seems to have been caused by two main factors: its very long vegetative cycle (ten to 12 months) and its replacement in the diet of small rural producers by other types of food (sweet potato, corn, yam or other industrialized products such as wheat biscuits and bread). Even in its region of origin where its cultivation dates back 1000 years, leren is at present used only in subsistence farming by traditional growers and indigenous populations.