In English
In Puerto Rico, malanga is taro (Colocasia esculenta), a starchy corm. The name "malanga lila" is mostly used outside Puerto Rico, in Cuba and the US, for yautía lila (Xanthosoma violaceum), a different plant also known as tannia or cocoyam.
Once cooked it is soft, fluffy and creamy, with a mild, earthy flavor.
Always cook it: raw malanga irritates the mouth. Peel, cube and boil in salted water until tender, then mash it (majado), add it to soups and sancocho, or fry it as chips.