:) you're getting the young tender roots that are suitable for the palates of american consumers, for the most part...

a five year old taro root is the size of a softball, and difficult to work with for cooking, unless you're rendering it for starch (it's used like flour)

I buy mine at the local bodega, myself...pay a buck a pound for them. they just broke ground here in Pennsy, and the leaves are 6-8" long. in another month, the new set of leaves will be a foot long...and I always hate to pot them up at the end of september, because they're huge and georgeous.

now, mind you- you ARE buying the 'common' kind, with normal old green leaves. no black beauties, no crimson streaks...but I'm ok with that, myself ;)

ps- did you friends with the large bulbs happen to tell you what they PAID for them? I'll bet it was more than 3 times what you did ;)

So mine will also grow?