Cassava

When Columbus returned from his first voyage to America he brought drawings to illustrate the plants he had seen in the New World. He also brought samples of such oddities as pineapple and cassava.

Cassava, Manioc esculenta, also known in different parts of the world as manioc and yucca, was a challenge to the Europeans. The cassava tuber when taken out of the ground releases a glucoside and an enzyme that react so as to produce poisonous prussic acid. The Europeans wondered how the people of the New World could eat a food that contained such a poison.

The cassava plant originated in the Amazon Basin of tropical Brazil in South America, thousands of years ago. Carbon-dated remnants found on the Venezuela-Columbia border go back to 800 B.C. By that time the indigenous people had learned how to peel, grate, soak, squeeze and toast the shredded root so that it was free of toxins, and the cassava root, high in starch and vitamin C, became a major source of energy.

Cassava is a woody shrub, a perennial that grows in tropical climates and prospers in a wide range of growing conditions. It prefers sandy soils but does well in all types of soils except those that are water-logged. It is very hardy, drought tolerant, and sheds its leaves in dry weather to prevent water loss to the roots. The leaves grow back after a rainfall. The plant does equally well in acidic and alkaline soils and is rich in carbohydrates that can sustain large populations, provided that they also have a source of protein, which cassava contains in only very limited supply.

Cassava tubers are cigar shaped with a brown-pinkish rind and ivory white flesh. They vary in size and may be up to ten inches in length and two inches wide. There are two varieties, bitter and sweet. The bitter is more frequently cultivated and provides a higher yield. The sweet variety contains less poison and the roots are watery, but the cultivar is also grown for its fan-shaped leaves and is used as a cooked vegetable or made into a soup. Tapioca is the only cassava product which is widely consumed outside the tropics. Tapioca is a refined flour which is generally used for puddings or thickening. Cassava in the tropics is now a source of dietary energy for more than 500 million people.

My son John married a young physician and public health consultant who was raised in Africa. Each year she goes to Africa to work on medical relief and public health projects. Here is what she has to say about Cassava in Africa:

"Today the introduction of western food and fast food is bringing changes to the way urban people prepare and eat their traditional foods. However in the villages, things are still done the old way. The Portuguese name for cassava is ‘mandioca’ (man-dee-ok’ah), probably derived from its scientific name Manioc esculenta.

"Manioc tubers at the market are usually used for cooking but they can also be used to make cassava meal ‘farinha de mandioca’, or a flour called ‘fuba’ (foo-bah) at home. Fuba is used to make dishes called foufou, fufu, or funje and chikwangue (tshee-kwaan-guah).

"The process of making cassava meal is somewhat complicated, but in many modern kitchens across Africa there is a big bowl with white ‘fuba’ and a container with cassava meal. Fuba is as thin as wheat flour but fluffier and whiter. The contents of the bowl are used every day and replenished as necessary. Cassava meal is very much appreciated by children who love it mixed with sugar and dried milk when available.

"In traditional African kitchens most of the work is done outdoors. A fire is built inside a small nearby hut to protect the cooking from wind and dust. Fuba is ground in a huge mortar with a pestle and the grinding is the work of women, especially girls and young women. Traveling through Africa it is common for one to see women grinding dried cassava - manioc or bombo as it is called in Portuguese. This is the time for ‘girl talk’, games and singing. It takes time to make fuba for a meal, so children play and add joy to the occasion. Usually two women grind in the same mortar using two pestles. They work in coordination (one up, one down) and I have never seen an accident occurring from that. Once bombo is finely ground it is sieved by another person, several times until only fine dust remains, ready to make funje.

"Physically speaking, grinding manioc provides a work-out of the upper body as all the muscles of the arms and torso are involved. Good balance is required as the body tilts backward and forward. Songs and games add a symphony to the task!

My African daughter-in-law says the funje recipe is simple: "Water boiling in a deep pan and a funje-stick is all you need - along with a lot of physical energy. No other condiments or seasonings are added. The funje-stick is a tool that you see in all African households. There are two shapes: cylindrical or with a paddled end. It is always longer than 15 inches. The length is related to the way funje is cooked. Remove pot with boiling water from the flame and add fuba all at once. Stir in until thoroughly mixed. Now it needs to be beaten energetically until smooth and this is best achieved if the pan sits on the floor held between one’s feet while dough is beaten with the stick over and over against the side and edge of the pan. The proportions are one cup of fuba for two cups of water. Funge is a side dish (or a staple). It always accompanies a stew of greens and fish or meat."

I also have a Portuguese daughter-in-law, also with roots in Africa, who brought me a waxed cassava, which can last for months without spoiling. Frozen cassava (green leaves and sliced tubers) can also be found in some American supermarkets, but I doubt whether this nourishing food will ever become a favorite in the U.S.

I am often reminded that we all have a fondness for the foods that we learned to love in childhood. For those who have a yearning for homemade cassava, here are some clues to safe preparation.

The cassava root is brown and thick and needs to be peeled so that all the skin is entirely removed and only the shiny white surface remains. The roots are cut into squares and the inner veins are removed. During preparation the cassava pieces should be covered with cold water to prevent oxidation. They should be boiled until tender. This preparation rids the cassava of cyanogenic compounds and makes it safe to eat. Cassava should never be eaten raw.

Spanish supermarkets and many health food stores carry frozen cassava, processed, cut and ready to cook. The package may be labeled mandioca (manioc) or yuca (or yucca), depending on the neighborhood. The frozen cassava pieces can be boiled and eaten as potatoes, or eaten with boiled or roasted peanuts as snacks.

The pieces can also be dried on large trays under the sun and roasted on an open fire or charcoal grill, and served as a snack with roasted peanuts.

The young leaf sprouts on the cassava bush are also used as food (older leaves become fibrous and bitter and contain more of the cyanide compound). Put washed fresh leaves in an uncovered pan with water to cover and simmer for about one-half hour. Drain thoroughly and discard water, and chop or grind (you can use a mortar and pestle); put back in pot, cover with water and continue to cook until soft. These chopped leaves are the intermediate product. Today one can buy frozen chopped cassava leaves in supermarkets with specialty food sections. The chopped leaves can now be prepared in two ways and a variety of fish or seafood added. Both the paste and the prepared cassava leaves store well, for long periods in a cool place.

Thaw the leaves at room temperature or in the microwave. Put the leaves in a big pan, cover with water and boil semi-covered for about an hour. In a frying pan, heat a generous portion of palm oil. Remove from the flame (to prevent sizzling) and add one big chopped onion. Return to flame and allow the onions to golden. Pour palm oil and onions over the cooked leaves, add water to cover and let it simmer half covered to reduce the water, but do not let it dry. (Be careful when pouring oil on the leaves, as it may splatter all over you and the stove. Have the pot cover close to help prevent this.) Stir occasionally. Add salt, chili pepper and canned tuna; if it is canned in water add the tuna water too. Dried small shrimp, or shredded smoked catfish can be substituted for the tuna. Let it cook for another 10 minutes. It is then served over plain white steamed rice or funje. It is deliciously strange! It is a meal in itself.

Prepare the leaves as above. Instead of palm oil, add chopped peanuts and peanut butter diluted in 2 cups of boiling water, and chopped onion. Follow instructions above. Check for seasonings and add shrimp or tuna. Let cook for another 15-20 minutes. Serve the same way, with funje or rice on the side.

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This page was last updated on 24-Nov-2005.