Cassava: Enrich Your Diet With The “Tropical Potato”

Little is known in this country, but worldwide it is one of the staple foods: cassava. We will introduce you to the South American root and give you tips on how to prepare it.

Ingredient for the creative kitchen: cassava

Manioc has earned the nickname tropical potato, because in India, Asia, Africa, South America and the Caribbean, the root is as common and popular on the menu as the potato is here. The cassava plant belongs to the spurge family and originally comes from Brazil. Hence the name, which, like passion fruit or pineapple, can be attributed to the Tupi language. Other names are yuca and cassava. The starchy, red-brown outside and white inside tuber tastes neutral to sweet. The processing is similar to that of the potato: after peeling, you can deep-fry, boil, roast or bake cassava, the cassava root is poisonous when raw. For Creole recipes, yuca is often used like a vegetable.

This goes well with cassava: recipes with the root

Since cassava is gluten-free, cassava flour can be used for baking if you want or have to do without the gluten. For cassava bread, cassava cookies or cassava cake, just use it instead of wheat flour. Cassava starch (tapioca) can also be used to thicken and bind food. Caribbean desserts such as coconut pudding with fruit are traditionally prepared with it. In savory form, cassava is often eaten as a puree (alternatively, try Jerusalem artichoke puree, which is made from the North American Jerusalem artichoke tuber). The African porridge “Fufu” can also be prepared from cassava. You are right in line with the food trend with fries made from potato alternatives, which also include the South American root.

Nutritional value and shelf life

Cassava contains vitamin C, magnesium and is rich in manganese. The latter is important for energy metabolism, bone preservation, and connective tissue formation and helps protect cells from oxidative stress. The cultivated plant is therefore considered a healthy food. However, the root is not low in energy in the sense of low-carb nutrition, because with 133 kcal per 100 g it contains almost twice as many calories as potatoes. Whole cassava can be kept unrefrigerated for up to four weeks, and cut for three to four days. Keep cooked leftovers in the fridge and eat within a day if possible.