polynesian arrowroot was a minor staple among austronesians. the roots are bitter if not prepared properly, thus it was only cultivated as a secondary crop to staples like "dioscorea alata" and "colocasia esculenta". its importance increased for settlers in the pacific islands, where food plants were scarcer, and it was introduced to virtually all the inhabited islands. they were valued for their ability to grow in low islands and atolls, and were often the staple crops in islands with these conditions. in larger islands, they were usually allowed to grow feral and were useful only as famine food. several cultivars have been developed in polynesia due to the centuries of artificial selection. the starch extracted from the root with traditional methods can last for a very long time, and thus can be stored or traded. the starch can be cooked in leaves to make starchy puddings, similar to the use of starch extracted from sago palms ("metroxylon sagu"). due to the introduction of modern crops, it is rarely cultivated today.