Cassava

Welcome, viewers

"Cassava" is a word I was curious to find out about from the "Reflections fo Spring" by "Duong Thong Huong". It is the name of a plant whoose root can be eaten. Its scientific name is Manihot esculenta. It is also called yuca, casava and manioc. It is widely grown and eaten,mostly in Asia and Africa,I think.I believe I have eaten it before in my country ,too.

"The cassava, casava, or manioc (Manihot esculenta) is a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae (spurge family) native to South America that is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrate."

"The root is long and tapered, with a firm homogeneous flesh encased in a detachable rind, about 1 mm thick, rough and brown on the outside. Commercial varieties can be 5 to 10 cm in diameter at the top, and 50 to 80 cm long. A woody cordon runs along the root's axis. The flesh can be chalk-white or yellowish; raw cassava tastes like a mixture of potato and coconut flesh, it breaks like a carrot, and darkens quickly upon exposure to the air. For this reason, the skinned root must be kept under water until it is ready to be cooked. The root's flavor spoils in a day or so, even if kept unskinned and under refrigeration, which is a problem for supermarkets. A solution is usually to freeze it or seal it in wax."

source>www.wikipedia.com