Technically, tubers are swollen underground plant stems, but it's easier to think of them as the "family of potato-like vegetables."  They're used worldwide as a source of carbohydrates, often taking a back seat to more flavorful and colorful ingredients.

arrowroot = arrow root = Chinese potato = goo = seegoo = arrowhead = Chinese arrowhead = tse goo =  tsu goo  

The name arrowroot is more commonly associated with a thickener that's made from the plant.  A fresh arrowroot tuber looks like a small onion, only without the layers.  It should be peeled, and then it can be boiled or stir-fried.  Look for it in Chinese markets during the winter.

Tapioca root = cassava =  manioc = mandioca = yucca = yucca root = Brazilian arrowroot

People in Asian countries use Tapioca root much like Americans use potatoes. It can be steamed , fried and to made flour. There's both a sweet and a bitter variety of Tapioca root. The sweet one can be eaten raw, but the bitter one requires cooking to destroy the harmful prussic acid it contains.  It's often best to buy frozen tapioca root, since the fresh kind is hard to peel.  Look for it in Asian markets.  It doesn't store well, so use it within a day or two of purchase.  

Potatoes

In  northern China white potatoes are a staple food, although not as important as noodles; in southern China they are far less significant.

Several varieties of potatoes are grown in the East, so tubers vary in size, shape and color, as well as in taste and texture.

Potatoes can be boiled, baked, fried, micro waved, steamed, or roasted, with or without their peels. In Asia, after peeling  they generally sliced or diced then stir-fried or braised with seasoning or spices. They also served as a side dish or snack. Potato flour is a popular thickener.

Potatoes should always be stored in cool, dark, dry place. because of their high sugar content.

Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are popular in the Philippines. Several varieties of potatoes are grown in the East, so tubers vary in size, shape and color, as well as in taste and texture. The sweet potatoes have a red skin and flesh that varies from pale white to yellow-orange in color. Thai cooks make a very sweet dessert based on deep-fried sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes do not keep well.

Taroes =Taro root = dasheen = coco = cocoyam = eddo = Japanese potato = baddo = elephant's ear = old cocoyam = sato-imo  = Yutou (Mandarin) = Woo Tau (Cantonese)

These firm, white-fleshed tubers grow in tropical areas and are widely used throughout South-east Asia and tropical countries. There are two basic varieties: the big, barrel-shaped one with the hairy brown skin is the most common, but there is also a smaller variety which is known in the West as eddo or dasheen. The fresh is white, with purple flecks.

It has an interesting, nutty flavor, and it's quite good in stews or soups, or deep-fat fried or roasted.  Cooked taro has a subtle flavor that has been described as resembling floury water chestnuts. Taroes can be substituted for potatoes in most dishes. They take up a great deal of liquid, so are good in stews. Asian cooks often include taro when cooking belly pork or duck as it absorbs the excess fat.

In its raw state, it can be toxic and harsh on the skin, so wear gloves or oil your hands when handling it, and always cook it before serving it.

Water chestnut = Chinese water chestnut = Biqi (Mandarin) = Ma Tai ( Cantonese)  

Water chestnuts are popular throughout Asia, cropping up in Chinese, Japanese, Korean and South-east Asian-recipes. The name is slightly misleading as they do grow in water ( and are actually cultivated in paddy fields) but they certainly aren't nuts. Instead, they are corms, which are about the size of walnuts. There are several varieties, but the Chinese type, which are dark brown and look a bit like small daffodil bulbs, are the most widely available outside Asia. They have grow in water, tends to be  covered in dried dirt. fresh water chestnuts are superior to canned.

The best thing about water chestnuts is their texture. The snow-white flesh is crunchy and juicy, and stays that way no matter how long they are cooked for. This, coupled with their pleasantly sweet taste, makes them irresistible.

Water chestnuts can be eaten raw in both savory and fruit salads. In many Asian countries they are eaten as a snack food. Cooked water chestnuts taste wonderful in stir-fries or braised dishes. the fresh is also made into a flour, which is used both as a thickening agent and in cakes.
 

Horned water Chestnuts

This nut is often confused with the vegetable of the same name, but they look entirely different. Horned water chestnuts (ling gok), which have been eaten in China for hundreds of years, have a hard, shiny black shell with two distinctive, sharp horns. The nuts measure about 5 cm/2 in from tip to tip, and the shells, which are extremely difficult to crack, enclose ivory colored flesh that is starchy and sweet tasting. The nuts are never eaten raw, but can be steamed or boiled and served like a vegetable, added to soups or braised in stews.

Horned water chestnut can be bought in Asian and Chinese shops and will keep fresh for several weeks in the fridge. However, once shelled the flesh, which should be white and unblemished, needs to be used within a day or two as it quickly becomes rancid.