What Is Cassava?
Cassava is a root vegetable. It is the underground part of the cassava shrub, which has the Latin name Manihot esculenta. Like potatoes and yams, it is a tuber.
What Is Cassava Used For?
Cassava is a rich, affordable source of carbohydrates. It can provide more calories per acre of the crop than cereal grain crops, which makes it a very useful crop in developing nations.
People prepare and eat cassava in various ways in different parts of the world, with baking and boiling being the most common methods. In some places, people ferment cassava before using it.
It is essential to peel cassava and never eat it raw. It contains dangerous levels of cyanide unless a person cooks it thoroughly before eating it.
Uses Of Cassava Include;
Foods that people can make using cassava include:
- bread, which can contain cassava flour only or both cassava and wheat flour
- french fries
- mashed cassava
- cassava chips
- cassava bread soaked in coconut milk
- cassava cake
- cassava in coconut sauce
- yuca con mojo, a Cuban dish that combines cassava with a sauce comprising citrus juices, garlic, onion, cilantro, cumin, and oregano
- tapioca, which is a common dessert food
- starch and flour products, which people can use to make gluten-free bread
Is Eating Cassava Healthy?
Cassava is a calorie-rich vegetable that contains plenty of carbohydrates and key vitamins and minerals. Cassava is a good source of vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin. The leaves, which are also edible if a person cooks them or dries them in the sun, can contain up to 25% protein.
What Does A Cassava Taste Like?
The sweet variety of cassava has a sweet and nutty taste, however, and can be eaten simply after it’s been boiled. It’s a major source of carbohydrates with a little bit of protein. This tuber can be prepared in much the same way as a potato. Whether boiled, roasted, mashed, chipped or otherwise.
How Do I Make Cassava Safe To Eat?
Though cassava is a safe ingredient to eat when cooked, it contains the harmful chemical cyanide when raw or cooked improperly—see the CDC’s report on the danger. Never consume cassava raw. In order to safely consume it, you must always “cook it well, remove the skin, and do not reuse the boiled water,” says Lemond.
Where Does Cassava Come From?
Approximatively the half of the world’s cassava current production comes from Africa where it is cultivated in around 40 countries. Cassava is the third most important source of calories in the tropics after rice and maize (Food Safety Network,).
What Are The Benefits Of Eating Cassava?
Cassava root is particularly high in vitamin C, an important vitamin that acts as an antioxidant, supports collagen production, and enhances immunity, among other benefits. Plus, it’s rich in copper, a mineral necessary for neurotransmitter synthesis, energy production, iron metabolism, and more.
The nutritional profile of cassava is as follows:
- calories: 330
- protein: 2.8 grams (g)
- carbohydrate: 78.4 g
- fiber: 3.7 g
- calcium: 33.0 milligrams (mg)
- magnesium: 43.0 mg
- potassium: 558.0 mg
- vitamin C: 42.4 mg
- thiamine: 0.087 mg
- riboflavin: 0.048 mg
- niacin: 0.854 mg
Cassava Prices In Ghana;
The prices of cassava in Ghana varies due to the quantity a client might need for usage. So it ranges from GHc 5.00 and above