Food · Fermented foods

Selebes / Akame Taro (Red-Eye Taro)

セレベス (Serebesu)

Also known as: Selebes, Serebesu, Akame-imo, Red-eye taro, Sulawesi taro, Colocasia esculenta var. esculenta (Sulawesi-origin), セレベス, 赤芽芋

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At a glance

CategoryFood
Japanese labeling nameセレベス 球茎 (生 / 水煮)
Common Japanese notationsセレベス, 赤芽芋, アカメイモ, セレベスいも
OriginSelebes (Colocasia esculenta var. esculenta — Sulawesi-origin taro); name derives from Sulawesi island (旧称 Celebes) where it was historically introduced; principal modern domestic regions Chiba, Saitama, Miyazaki; **distinguished by red-tinged sprout-eyes (赤芽 / akame) and parent-corm-and-side-corm both edible (different from standard satoimo where mostly side-corms eaten)**; firmer, less starchy than standard satoimo
Typical functionsSubstitute for satoimo with firmer/less-sticky texture, Nimono sweet-soy simmered (firmer-texture preference), Foodservice variety-vegetable rotation, Niche heritage retail
Regulatory status in JapanStandard agricultural product labeling. **Origin disclosure.** Cultivar variety of Colocasia esculenta. Not a designated allergen.

Selebes (セレベス / 赤芽芋) is the red-eye taro (Colocasia esculenta var. esculenta, Sulawesi-origin) — introduced from Sulawesi (旧称 Celebes). **Distinguished by red-tinged sprout eyes and edible parent-corm-and-side-corm.** Firmer, less-sticky than standard satoimo. Chiba, Saitama, Miyazaki regions.

Classification

Tags below link to other ingredients sharing the same attribute, so you can pivot from one ingredient to its peers.

Functions

Regulatory tags

Used in (typical product categories)

Finished-product categories that commonly include this ingredient in Japanese-market formulations.

  • Fresh selebes retail (cultivar-labeled)
  • Foodservice variety supply

What it is

Colocasia esculenta var. esculenta selebes (Sulawesi-origin red-eye taro).

Typical uses in Japanese products

Substitute for satoimo with firmer texture.

Sweet-soy nimono.

Foodservice variety-vegetable.

Heritage retail.

For OEM: cultivar-labeled fresh retail, foodservice variety supply.

Regulatory classification in Japan

Standard food labeling. Origin disclosure. Not a designated allergen.

Regulatory classification in other markets

EUNiche specialty in Asian-cuisine channels.
USANiche specialty positioning.
ChinaNiche cultivar.
KoreaNiche cultivar.

Example products

Example finished products will be added after verification.

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Related ingredients

References

  1. MEXT Standard Tables of Food Composition — セレベス 球茎

Last updated: 2026-04-28. Ingredient entries are reviewed at least annually against current regulatory listings.

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