What is "callaloo"

n. 1 Any of various tropical plants grown in the Americas, especially of the genus ''Xanthosoma'', cultivated for their edible leaves. 2 A spicy soup or stew made from such leaves.

Callaloo (sometimes calaloo or kallaloo) is a popular Caribbean dish originating in West Africa served in different variants across the Caribbean. The main ingredient is a leaf vegetable, traditionally either amaranth (known by many local names, including callaloo or bhaaji), taro or xanthosoma. Both are known by many names, including callaloo, coco, tannia, bhaaji, or dasheen bush. Because the leaf vegetable used in some regions may be locally called "callaloo" or "callaloo bush", some confusion can arise among the vegetables and with the dish itself. Outside of the Caribbean, water spinach is occasionally used. Trinidadians, Grenadians and Dominicans primarily use taro/dasheen bush for callaloo, although Dominicans also use water spinach. Jamaicans, Belizeans and Guyanese on the other hand use the name callaloo to refer to amaranth, and use it in a plethora of dishes and also a drink ('callaloo juice'). The 'callaloo' made in Jamaica is different from the 'callaloo' made in Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada in terms of main ingredient (the leaf used) and other ingredients included (for example, Jamaicans tend to use only callaloo leaf, salt, onions, and scallions, and simply steam the vegetable, while Trinidadians use okra and coconut milk to make a different dish with a different taste and consistency).

Callaloo, A Journal of African Diaspora Arts and Letters, is a quarterly literary magazine that was established in 1976 by Charles Rowell, who remains its editor-in-chief. It contains creative writing, visual art, and critical texts about literature and culture of the African diaspora, and is probably the longest continuously running African-American literary magazine.

In addition to receiving grants of support from national agencies such as the Lannan Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, Callaloo has garnered a number of national honors, including the best special issue of a journal from the Council of Editors for Learned Journals for "The Haitian Issues" in 1992 (volume 15.2 & 3: Haiti: the Literature and Culture Parts I & II); an honorable mention for the "Best Special Issue of a Journal" in 2001 from the Professional/Scholarly Publishing (PSP) Division of the American Association (volume 24.1: The Confederate Flag Controversy: A Special Section); and recognition for the Winter 2002 issue from the Council of Editors for Learned Journals as one of the best special issues of that year (volume 25.1: Jazz Poetics).

Callaloo may refer to:

In cuisine:

• Callaloo, a Caribbean dish sometimes called pepperpot, made with the leaves of a plant also called "callaloo"
  • Amaranthus, a genus of herb used to make the dish
  • Malanga, or Xanthosoma, a plant used to make the dish
  • Taro, a plant used to make the dish

In academia:

• Callaloo (journal), an academic journal