Perennial Vegetables by Eric Toensmeier

I want to cultivate taro to eat here in Maryland and need some advice.

Ans great as Mel Bartholomew’s All New Square Foot Gardening is, the fruits and vegetables listed by Bartholomew are pretty run-of-the mill -- no taro or other asian fruits or vegetables!

And while Better Homes and Gardens Step-By-Step Successful Gardening is certainly helpful for learning about gardening basics (fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs, vines, you name it!), the content is also pretty standard.

I've been told to get these books to learn about taro cultivation:

• Perennial Vegetables: From Artichokes to Zuiki Taro, A Gardener's Guide to Over 100 Delicious and Easy to Grow Edibles by Eric Toensmeier
• Taro: Mauka to Makai by The College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii at Manoa

Any thoughts?

I already know that people grow taro (otherwise known as kalo and elephant ears) here in Maryland for landscaping purposes, but I want to know whether I can grow it to eat and whether I need to buy a specific variety for eating instead of just landscaping.