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callaloo

noun
cal·​la·​loo | \ ˌka-lə-ˈlü, ˈka-lə-ˌlü\

Definition of callaloo

1 : the edible young green leaves of a plant (such as taro or a member of the genus Xanthosoma) of the arum family used as greens
2 : a soup or stew made with greens, onions, and crabmeat or pork

Examples of callaloo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 The Taste of Jamaica ($19.99) plates up a little bit of everything: jerk chicken, pulled jerk pork, a beef empanada, callaloo, sweet plantains, white rice and black beans. — Lauren Delgado, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Bahama Breeze's Reggae Fest promises special food, drink, music at restaurants," 29 June 2018 Island Paradise -- Jerk chicken, Jamaican-style rice and callaloo. — Ann Maloney, NOLA.com, "New Orleans' Caribbean chefs give Jerk Chicken Fest authentic flavor," 16 Jan. 2018 Look for callaloo, a Caribbean green that's often steamed — Stephanie Wu, Town & Country, "14 Reasons to Take a Weekend Jaunt to Jamaica," 9 Feb. 2015 The pigweed is also very similar to the amaranth leaves that Jamaicans call callaloo, Cordelli says. — Cindy Sutter, The Denver Post, "Weeds to pull, or greens to harvest? Turning edible “weeds” into dinner," 7 Apr. 2017 Besides, my heart is in Asian vegetables, edible perennials, fiddlehead ferns, and callaloo, not flowering shrubs or stringy English beans. — Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, "A Gardening Book for Those Who Hate Gardening Books," 31 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'callaloo.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of callaloo

1696, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for callaloo

Caribbean English, perhaps ultimately of African origin; akin to Caribbean Spanish calalú callaloo (greens and dish), Brazilian Portuguese carurú, Haitian Creole kalalou okra

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Statistics for callaloo

Last Updated

14 Jan 2019

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The first known use of callaloo was in 1696

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