Diving Into the Ingredients That Make Us: Cassava – wayfarersoliloquy

Cassava, Yuca, Manioc, no matter what you call it, Manihot esculenta is one of the most important sources of carbohydrates in the world. It’s also delicious and versatile.

Cassava is a tuber vegetable, similar to potatoes. Growing just below the soil surface, its tubers store nutrients and water for the plant to feed off during the next season’s regrowth. The plant itself, tall and lanky, produces edible leaves and can survive some serious periods of drought.

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In its native range in South America, indigenous communities have harvested it for centuries. Today, cassava plays a vital role in the diets and economies of many countries around the world, with West Africa leading the world in production.

The tuber is truly a global food. Everywhere from tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia, and Latin America to parts of Europe have fallen in love with it. It’s little surprise that a plant as hardy, nutritious, versatile, and adaptable has become so infused in cuisines around the world.

A key advantage is its ability to withstand drought and thrive in marginal soil conditions. This makes it an important staple crop in places where other crops struggle. In countries with low rainfall and poor soil fertility, it’s become a lifeline for farmers. This makes it especially useful in areas affected by climate change.

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As useful as it is as a crop, cassava is a multidimensional super ingredient. It comes in many forms. In most countries, cassava consumption involves cooking the roots and sometimes the leaves, either by boiling, steaming, or frying them. Many dishes rely on boiled cassava as the main carbohydrate for soups and stews. The root also finds its way into the fryer for cassava chips, fermented and used as cereal, like in West African Garri, or processed into a flour and fried like Brazilian farofa.

If you look at it from a nutritional perspective, cassava is the perfect source of carbohydrates and energy. It is rich in fiber and has essential minerals like calcium, potassium, phosphorus, as well as vitamin C and folate. Plus, it’s gluten-free.

On top of its food uses, cassava makes one hell of a plant based industrial material. Factory workers around the world make everything from paper and biodegradable packaging to textiles or even biofuels and pharmaceuticals out of this useful plant. Need to feed your animals or make fertilizer? Cassava can do that too.

That said, there is a dark side to the plant. Cyanogenic glycosides, compounds that can release cyanide, are present in the tuber. However, over 50% is contained in the inedible skin and if you peel them, soak them, and cook them, they’ll be perfectly safe. Just don’t eat them raw.

Another possible dark side to the plant stems from its usefulness itself. Cassava is such an important staple in ecologically vulnerable areas that many experts are concerned that overpopulation and malnourishment will drive massive deforestation and mono-cropping. Yet, if yielded correctly, cassava could actually help solve these problems while providing a useful food and industrial bio-product.

So, will cassava continue to be around in the future? Absolutely. Better get used to enjoying this magnificent ingredient. It may be more important for our survival than we think.

What’s one way to make this South American ingredient feel right at home on a North American dinner table? I’m pretty sure Brazilian cheese bread or pão de queijo is the answer.

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This toasty, savory, and filling food is found in some form or another all over South America. But in Brazil, it’s consumed with abandon.

• 1.5 cups of grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup of whole milk
• ¼ cup of oil (grapeseed or any vegetable oil works the best)
• 1 pound of tapioca starch, aka tapioca flour. This is made from cassava!
• 1 or 2 teaspoons of salt to taste

• First, shred up your favorite parmesan and cheddar cheese and add to two scrambled eggs
• Cook the oil and milk on low
• Pour liquid in a bowl of tapioca (cassava) flour
• Mix well and let cool for about 20 minutes
• Once cooled, add the cooked eggs and cheese
• Mix well with your hands
• After oiling your hands, roll the dough into balls containing about 2-3 tablespoons of dough
• Roll the dough well
• Place on baking tray with plenty of space between them and bake on medium high heat until crispy
• Enjoy!