[wombatmobile]

> Wikipedia identified the scientific name of the plant as Maerua oblongifolia, but had no photos of it.

How about this photo?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maerua_oblongifolia#/media/Fil...

In this Wikipedia article

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maerua_oblongifolia

Maerua oblongifolia (syn. Maerua arenaria, Niebhuria arenaria) is a low woody bushy under-shrub sometimes scandent to 2–3 meters high, with a thick root stock and thick leaves, and strongly scented flowers, occurring in India, Pakistan, Africa and Saudi Arabia. In Telugu this plant is called by name Bhoochakra gadda (In Telangana) and Bhoochakra dumpa (In Andhra). In Tamil this plant is called by name Poomicchakkarai Kizhangu (பூமிச் சர்க்கரைக் கிழங்கு). This is a tuber that naturally grows in areas closer to fountains, especially in hills. Tribes and others collect the tubers, which are sold as a quick street food, in many Indian cities and towns.

[grenoire]

There is literally a Doubt section there, the page isn't well-cited on the food bit.

[wombatmobile]

What do you make of this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlwOrdciEX8

and this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7sn42heQ2w

Have you ever been to the Champavat region of Uttarakhand?

[atombender]

The first video shows the leaves of some kind of shrub, with no evidence to link it to the thick, fleshy stem to that plant.

The second video shows a food market selling the snack and displaying a web page printout about Maerua oblongifolia. Also not evidence.

Clearly you did not read the article. The food vendors claim it is Maerua oblongifolia. The whole point is that it cannot possibly be, as Maerua does not have fleshy, edible roots or trunks, and DNA testing points to a different botanical family.

Wikipedia is not a credible source here.

[stinos]

Interesting; don't speak the language but the first video showa a plant, and then a root/stem, without a link bewteen the two (i.e. harvesting). And the second shows just the stem. So still could go both ways?