Due to an increased demand of Kochu flowers, the cultivation of Kochu plants is increasing at the villages of Tentulia now a day.
Consumable Kochu is known as 'Elephant Foot Yam' in English. It is known more popularly in Bangladesh as 'Ol kochu’. However, there are other varieties of Kochu known as Maan Kochu, Mukhi Kochu, Pani Kochu, Panchamukhi Kochu, Paidnail, Dudh Kochu, Shola Kochu and Jongli Kochu.
Some Kochu are also extremely beautiful and brightly coloured on the upper side of the leaves. Those Kochu are planted as ornamented plants in houses and in the lawns.
Separate Kochus have separate tastes and flavour. The Ol Kochu tastes a lot like sweet potatoes and is a healthy alternative to regular potatoes. Other varieties of Kochus also taste different. All the Kochus are, however, high in vitamin B6, omega 3 fatty acids, high in fibre and minerals like copper, selenium, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium. Kochu is regarded as the most neglected plant in the country but it is popular as a vegetable among all section of people. The Kochu plants grow on all sort of soil, especially on moist, wet soil.
All parts of a Kochu plant are consumable. Specially, the elongated root (loti), root, leaf and flower. People of Tentulia know the flower of Kochu as 'Dhodu'. They consume the flower as vegetable.
As a consumable vegetable, Kochu flower, leaves and root contain a huge amount of Vitamin A along with other vitamins iron and Zinc mentioned earlier. The Kochu leaf and flower is very beneficial in curing 'night-blindness.' It has also many Ayurvedic uses.
Housewives Sobura and Munira Begum of Kalidaspara village under Buraburi union informed they regularly consume curry made of Kochu flowers. They said, though this throwaway vegetable is very tasty and nourishing, most people avoid it to eat since it is available everywhere. They further said, doctors often advised them to take Kochu sac in case of shortages of blood in the body.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Jahangir Alam informed the Kochu leaf is beneficial to health. It contains a huge amount of Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese and Phosphorus. It helps to construct our teeth and bones and resists many diseases including the short sightedness and TB.
It is very beneficial for the pregnant mother and the child. It also decreases cholesterol of blood that is why the people with High Blood pressure should regularly consume Kochu leaf vegetables. The Kochu sac also decreases the risk of being attacked with Colon Cancer and the Breast Cancer, he added.
