Combine the pork with all of the marinade ingredients. Mix gently to combine, and let sit for at least 15 minutes while you prepare the taro and rest of the ingredients.

If you have a whole taro, cut it in half and cut away the brown skin with a knife. Rinse bits of skin and other debris away. Cut the taro into large chunks, about 1.5-by-1.5 inches.

Heat 1-2 tablespoons of canola oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and half of the scallions and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the pork together with all of the marinade. Cook, stirring, until the pork is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove the pork from the pot with a slotted spoon, leaving behind the sauce, and set aside.

Add the cubed taro to the pot. Add the soy sauce, some dashes of salt and pepper, and about 3/4 cup of water to the pot, and stir to combine over medium-high heat. When the liquid in the pot comes to a boil, cover and simmer at medium-low heat for about 15-20 minutes, stirring periodically. The taro is ready when it starts crumbling at the edges and a fork moves cleanly and easily through it. You can also taste a piece - it should be starchy and soft throughout, like a boiled potato, with no hard or crunchy bits. If the pot starts looking dry before the taro is ready, add more water, 1/4 cup at a time. If the taro is ready and the pot still looks very soupy, uncover and turn the heat up to evaporate the extra liquid.

When the taro is ready, add the rest of the scallions and the pork back into the pot, and stir gently to combine and heat everything through. I like to break apart the outer edges of the taro so that it forms a mash, but there will still be distinct bits of taro within the mash. It's sort of like the consistency of a warm potato salad!