Cassava-based dishes
Encyclopedia
A great variety of cassava-based dishes are consumed in the regions where cassava
(manioc, Manihot esculenta) is cultivated, and they include many national or ethnic specialities.
As a food ingredient, cassava root is somewhat similar to the potato
, to the extent that it is starchy, inedible when raw, and with a bland flavor when cooked. Indeed cassava can replace the potato in many dishes and forms — boiled, mashed, fried, baked, etc... However cassava, unlike the potato, is mostly a tropical
crop; and its peculiar characteristics led to some unique recipes, such as sweet pudding
s, which have no common potato version. In some parts of the world (chiefly in Africa
, Indonesia
, and the Philippines
), cassava leaves, too, are cooked and eaten as a vegetable
.
It is to be noted that cassava, as a root vegetable, has to properly be cooked for detoxification purposes before being eaten.
. Besides casabe bread, it is prepared as a side dish — boiled, covered with raw onion rings and sizzling garlic infused olive oil. It is also boiled then cut into strips and fried to make yuca frita (similar to french fries). Yuca is also one of the main ingredients in a traditional Cuban vegetarian stew called ajiaco
, along with potatoes, malanga
, boniato (sweet potato), plantain
, ñame
, corn and other vegetables. Cuban buñuelos
, a local variation of a traditional Spanish fritter (similar to the French beignet
) is made with cassava and sweet potato instead of flour. These are fried and topped off with anisette-flavored sugar syrup.
where it is often eaten as part of a meal or by itself occasionally. It is usually eaten in bread form, often with peanut butter spread on the top or with milk. Cassava flour, known as musa or moussa is boiled to create a meal of the same name. Cassava can also be eaten with various stews and soups, such as squash soup (referred to as soup joumou
). Cassava flour is also the flour used for a Haitian cookies, called bonbon lamindon, a sweet melt-in-your-mouth cookie. The root vegetable yuca is grated, rinsed well, dried, salted, and pressed to form flat cakes about 4 inches (10.2 cm) in diameter and 1/2 in thick.
called catibía has its dough made out of cassava flour. It is also just peeled and boiled then eaten with olive oil and vinegar and served with other root vegetables like potatoes, ñame, yams, batata (sweet potatoes) and yautía (dasheen). Cassva is also used to make 'chulos', mainly in the Cibao
region: grated cassava and other are shaped into a cylindrical form, much like a croquette
, and fried. Also it is an important ingredient for sancocho
.
ground and used as a paste (masa) to make a typically Puerto Rican Christmas favorite dish called pasteles. These are somewhat similar to Mexican tamales in appearance, but are made with root vegetables, plantains or yuca, instead of corn. Pasteles are rectangular and have a meat filling in the center, chicken or pork. They are wrapped in a plantain leaf. Masa made from cassava is also used for alcapurrias. These are filled with meat similar to the pasteles but they are fried instead. Yuca in Puerto Rico is also fried, smashed with broth and then stuffed with chicharrón or bacon to make mofongo
de yuca.
, cassava is traditionally made into bammy
, a small fried cassava cake inherited from the native Arawak Indians. The cassava root is grated, rinsed well, dried, salted, and pressed to form flat cakes about 4 inches (10.2 cm) in diameter and 1/2 in thick. The cakes are baked until firm and can be stored for a long time if properly done. These can be prepared by dipping in coconut milk, water or regular milk and fried. Bammies are usually served as a starchy side dish with breakfast, with fish dishes or alone as a snack.
which derived from the local Amerindian tribe.
, cassava is traditionally made into bammy, a small fried cassava cake inherited from the Garifuna. The bile up (or boil up) is considered the cultural dish of the Kriol
s. It is combination boiled eggs
, fish
and/or pig
tail
, with number of ground foods such as cassava, green plantains, yams, sweet Potatoes, and tomato sauce
. The cassava root is grated, rinsed well, salted, and pressed to form flat cakes about 4 inches (10.2 cm) in diameter and 1/2 in thick. The cakes are lightly fried, then dipped in coconut milk and fried again. Bammies are usually served as a starchy side dish with breakfast, with fish dishes or alone as a snack. Cassava Pone is a traditional Belizean Kriol
and pan-West Indian dessert recipe for a classic cassava flour cake sometimes made with coconuts and raisins.
, cassava is usually served as a side dish to any meal, mostly with soups. There are many typical cassava dishes, such as yuca con chicharrón (chicharron and boiled cassava) and platano con yuca (green or ripe plantains mashed together with boiled cassava).
, cassava is used in a variety of soups and other dishes. Cassava is one of the main ingredients in Sopa de Caracol (Conch
soup). Another typical Honduran dish is Yuca con Chicharrón, which is served with lemon dripped raw cabbage and diced tomatoes, topped with chicharrones
(pork rinds).
, cassava is used in soups, or fried. Yuca frita con chicharrón is deep-fried yuca and served with curtido
(a pickled cabbage, onion and carrot topping) and pork rinds or pepesquitas (fried baby sardines). The cassava is sometimes served boiled instead of fried. Cassava is also used in nuegados (a fried or baked patty made of grated cassava and served with sugar cane syrup).
, cassava is widely used, both boiled in soups or fried and served with fried pieces of pork and lime. This is sold as a snack in most places you travel. When travelling by bus, the bus is often boarded by a local trying to sell "sandwich bagged" snacks of yuca, pork and lime. Two main sources of food for locals in rural areas, living off resources within their own land, are yuca and plantain.
, cassava is sometimes used to make carimanolas. The boiled cassava is mashed into a dough and then filled with spiced meat. The meat-filled dumplings are deep fried to a golden brown. It is also used in brothy soups together with chicken, potatoes, and other vegetables.
, cassava is used in soups and in the Nicaraguan typical dish vigoron
, which basically consists of boiled cassava, chicharron, and cabbage salad. Cassava is also used to make buñuelos
and is one of the main ingredients in the national dish vaho
.
and consumed in a variety of dishes. It is common, after boiling it, to fry it with oil and eat it with a special hot sauce known as llajwa
or along with cheese
and choclo (dried corn
).
In warm and rural areas, cassava is used as a substitute of bread in everyday meals. The capacity of cassava to be stored for a long time makes it suitable as an ideal and cheap reserve of nutrients. Recently, more restaurants, hotels and common people are including cassava into their original recipes and everyday meals as a substitute for potato
and bread.
. In the guise of farofa
(lightly roasted flour
), cassava combines with rice and beans to make the basic meal of many Brazilians. Farofa is also a frequent side dish to many Brazilian foods including the national dish feijoada
, a salted-pork and black-beans stew. The dish vaca atolada ("mud-stranded cow") is a meat and cassava stew, cooked until the root has turned into a paste. Pirão is a thick gravy-like gruel prepared by cooking fish bits (such as heads and bones) with cassava flour. Boiled cassava is also made into a popular sweet pudding
or "cassava cake". After boiling, cassava may also be deep-fried to form a snack or side dish.
, cassava is used mainly in the preparation of sancocho and other soups. The pandebono
bread, made of cassava dough
, is a specialty of the Valle del Cauca State
.
In the coastal region, cassava is known especially in the form of bollo de yuca and enyucados. "Bollo de yuca" is a dough made of ground yuca that is wrapped in aluminum foil and then boiled, and is served with butter and cheese. Enyucado is a dessert made of ground boiled yuca, anise, sugar, and sometimes guava jam. In the caribbean region of Colombia, cassava is also eaten roasted, fried or boiled with soft homemade cheese or cream cheese
and mainly as a garnish of fish dishes.
, cassava is widely used by the Creole, Indian, Javanese and indigenous population. Telo is a popular dish which is salted fish and cassava, where the cassava is steamed and deepfried. Other dishes with cassava include soups, dosi and many others.
, cassava is included in a number of dishes. In the highlands, it is found boiled in soups and stews, as a side in place of potato
es, and it is processed into laminar fried chips called yuquitos which are a substitute for potato chips.
Ecuadorians also make bread
from cassava flour and mashed cassava root, including the extremely popular bolitos de yuca or yuquitas which range from balls of dough formed around a heart of fresh cheese and deep-fried (found primarily in the north), to the simpler variety typical to Colombia which are merely baked balls of dough. Cassava flour is sold in most markets.
In the Amazon Basin
, cassava is a main ingredient in chicha
, a traditional fermented drink produced by the indigenous Quichua population often made by chewing up and spitting out the raw cassava which is subsequently fermented for a few hours to a couple of days.
Cassava leaves, steamed, are part of the staple diet of the indigenous population in all areas where it is grown.
. It grows extremely well in the soil conditions throughout the country, and it is eaten at practically every meal. It is generally boiled and served as a side dish. It is also ground into a flour and used to make chipa, a bagel-shaped cheesy bread popular during holidays.
where it is used both boiled and fried. Boiled cassava is usually served as a side dish or in soup, while fried it is usually served together with onion
s and pepper
s as an aperitif or accompanying chicha.
. The result has the consistency of a cracker, and is broken into small pieces for consumption. There is also a sweet variety, called naiboa, made as a sandwich of two casabe pancakes with a spread of papelón
in between. Naiboa also has a softer consistency.
In West Africa
, particularly in Nigeria
and Sierra Leone
, cassava is commonly prepared as eba
or garri
. The cassava is grated, pressed, fermented and fried then mixed with boiling water to form a thick paste. In West Africa
the cassava root is pounded, mixed with boiling water to form a thick paste and cooked like eba.
In Ghana
, cassava is the most favoured among all root crops and even all food crops by Ghanaian consumers.
In Central Africa
, cassava is traditionally processed by boiling and mashing. The resulting mush can be mixed with spices and then cooked further or stored. A popular snack is made by marinating cassava in salted water for a few days and then grilling it in small portions.
Though the methods of cooking cassava vary from region to region, the main method is simply frying it. The skin of the root is removed and the remains are sectioned into small bite-size chunks that can then be soaked in water to aid in frying. Thereafter, the chunks are fried and then served, sometimes with a chili-salt mixture. This fried cassava is a very common street food as it is relatively cheap to buy, easy to prepare and good to eat. The same applies to another very common roadside method where the cassava is lightly boiled and cut into straight pieces about 8–10 in (20.3–25.4 cm) long. These pieces are then roasted over charcoal
grills, served hot by splitting through the middle and applying the chili-salt mixture.
Cassava flour can also be made into a staple food with a consistency like polenta or mashed potatoes. The Swahili name for it is ugali
while the Kikuyu name for it is 'mwanga'. It's also called fufu in Lingala and luku in Kikongo.
Residents in the Sub-Saharan nation of the Central African Republic
have developed multiple, unique ways of utilizing the abundant cassava plant. In addition to the methods described above, local residents fry thin slices of the cassava root, resulting in a crunchy snack similar in look and taste to potato chips.
In the provinces of Bandundu and Bas-Congo, in Western Democratic Republic of the Congo
manioc root is pounded into a paste, fermented and cooked in banana or other forest leaves. The resulting hard packets make for good travel food due to their long shelf-life. This form of manioc is called kwanga in Kikongo and Lingala.
The root can be pounded into flour and made into bread or cookies. Many recipes have been documented and tested with groups of women in Mozambique and Zambia. This flour can also be mixed with precise amounts of salt and water to create a heavy liquid used as white paint in construction.
The cassava leaf is also soaked and boiled for extended periods of time to remove toxins and then eaten. Known as gozo in Sango, sakasaka in Kikongo, sombe in Swahili and mpondu in Lingala, the taste is similar to spinach
.
In the state of Kerala
, India
, cassava is a secondary staple food
. Boiled cassava is normally eaten with fish curry
(kappayum meenum in Malayalam which literally means casava with fish) or meat, and is a traditional favorite of many Keralites. Kappa biriyani—cassava mixed with meat is a popular dish in central Kerala. In Tamil Nadu
it is called Kappa Kellangu or Marchini Kellangu. The household name for processed cassava in Andhra Pradesh
is saggu biyyam. Cassava is also deep fried in oil to make tasty homemade crisps, then sprinkled with flaked chillies or chilli powder and salt for taste. It is known as Mara Genasu in Kannada.
Cassava pearls (sabudaana साबु दाणा) are made from cassava-root starch, and are used for making sweet milk pudding in many parts of India. In western India, cassava pearls are used to make a salted and lightly spiced khichadi, or deep-fried patties known as vada
. These are considered pure foods by Hindus in Maharashtra
which can be eaten during fasts, when other foods cannot be partaken.
, and used as a staple food
during hard times but has lower status than rice. It is boiled or fried (after steaming), baked under hot coals, or added to kolak
dessert. It is also fermented to make peuyeum and tape, a sweet paste which can be mixed with sugar and made into a drink, the alcoholic (and green) es tape. It is available as an alternative to potato crisps. Gaplek
, a dried form of cassava, is an important source of calories in the off-season in the limestone hills of southern Java
.
Their young leaves also eaten, cooked in different ways in different regional cuisines, e.g. as gulai daun singkong (cassava leaves in coconut milk), boiled and served dry in Padang
cuisine, boiled with spices in Javanese cuisine
, as urap (Javanese salad), and as the main ingredient in buntil
(Javanese vegetable rolls).
during the Japanese occupation in World War II
. Often cassava was boiled and served with sambal tumis
. In Malaysia, cassava is also processed into kerepek ubi, in which the cassava is sliced thinly and then deep-fried. Cassava is also used to make tapai
. Young cassava leaves can also be cooked with coconut milk to make masak lemak pucuk ubi.
, suman
, pudding, chips, cassava cake, cassava balls, pancakes, or coated with caramelized sugar.
The leaves are also cooked and eaten.
Maniyok curry is a side dish often served with rice, a Sri Lankan staple food. There is a belief among Sri Lankans that one should not take maniyok together with ginger which will cause food poisoning. Leaves of the plant are also prepared as side dish and called malluma. Dried, powdered, and starched tapioca are widely used in Sri Lanka.
during the 19th century. The typical mode of preparation by Samoa
ns and Tonga
ns is steam-baking in underground ovens, although boiling in water or baking in coconut cream is also common. Polynesians have also adapted cassava into traditional desserts such as faikakai (Tonga) and fa'ausi (Samoa) which are prepared by steaming or baking finely grated (or mashed) cassava with coconut cream, brown sugar, and/or fruit juice.
Cassava
Cassava , also called yuca or manioc, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae native to South America, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates...
(manioc, Manihot esculenta) is cultivated, and they include many national or ethnic specialities.
As a food ingredient, cassava root is somewhat similar to the potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
, to the extent that it is starchy, inedible when raw, and with a bland flavor when cooked. Indeed cassava can replace the potato in many dishes and forms — boiled, mashed, fried, baked, etc... However cassava, unlike the potato, is mostly a tropical
Tropics
The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...
crop; and its peculiar characteristics led to some unique recipes, such as sweet pudding
Pudding
Pudding most often refers to a dessert, but it can also be a savory dish.In the United States, pudding characteristically denotes a sweet milk-based dessert similar in consistency to egg-based custards, though it may also refer to other types such as bread and rice pudding.In the United Kingdom and...
s, which have no common potato version. In some parts of the world (chiefly in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
), cassava leaves, too, are cooked and eaten as a vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
.
It is to be noted that cassava, as a root vegetable, has to properly be cooked for detoxification purposes before being eaten.
Caribbean
In many Caribbean islands, cassava flour is made into a round shaped flat bread called casabe or "cassava bread".Cuba
Cassava is a staple of Cuban cuisineCuban cuisine
Cuban cuisine is a fusion of Spanish, African and Caribbean cuisines. Cuban recipes share spices and techniques with Spanish and African cooking, with some Caribbean influence in spice and flavor. This results in a unique, interesting and flavorful blend of the several different cultural influences...
. Besides casabe bread, it is prepared as a side dish — boiled, covered with raw onion rings and sizzling garlic infused olive oil. It is also boiled then cut into strips and fried to make yuca frita (similar to french fries). Yuca is also one of the main ingredients in a traditional Cuban vegetarian stew called ajiaco
Ajiaco
Ajiaco is a Colombian potato soup, and is eaten in Colombia.The soup is typically served with table cream, capers and avocado all mixed in just before eating in the proportions each individual prefers. Ajiaco is so heavy that it is usually considered a full meal...
, along with potatoes, malanga
Malanga
- Plants :* Xanthosoma, also known as Malanga, a tropical and sub-tropical edible or ornamental plant* Eddoe, also known as Malanga, a tropical vegetable- People :* Gerard Malanga , poet and photographer* Steven Malanga, author...
, boniato (sweet potato), plantain
Plantain
Plantain is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa. The fruit they produce is generally used for cooking, in contrast to the soft, sweet banana...
, ñame
Name
A name is a word or term used for identification. Names can identify a class or category of things, or a single thing, either uniquely, or within a given context. A personal name identifies a specific unique and identifiable individual person, and may or may not include a middle name...
, corn and other vegetables. Cuban buñuelos
Buñuelos
A Buñuelo alternatively called bimuelo, birmuelo, bermuelo, burmuelo, bonuelo; ) is a fried dough ball. It is a popular snack in Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Spain, Peru, the Philippines, Turkey, Greece, Morocco, and is a tradition at Christmas, Ramadan and among Sephardic Jews at...
, a local variation of a traditional Spanish fritter (similar to the French beignet
Beignet
A beignet in the U.S. is a pastry made from deep-fried dough, much like a doughnut, and sprinkled with confectioner's sugar, or frostings. Savory versions of beignets are also popular as an appetizer, with fillings such as maple or fruit preserves....
) is made with cassava and sweet potato instead of flour. These are fried and topped off with anisette-flavored sugar syrup.
Haiti
Cassava is a popular starch and common staple in HaitiHaiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
where it is often eaten as part of a meal or by itself occasionally. It is usually eaten in bread form, often with peanut butter spread on the top or with milk. Cassava flour, known as musa or moussa is boiled to create a meal of the same name. Cassava can also be eaten with various stews and soups, such as squash soup (referred to as soup joumou
Soup Joumou
Soup Joumou is a mildly spicy soup native to Haitian cuisine, although variations of it can be found throughout Latin America and the Caribbean....
). Cassava flour is also the flour used for a Haitian cookies, called bonbon lamindon, a sweet melt-in-your-mouth cookie. The root vegetable yuca is grated, rinsed well, dried, salted, and pressed to form flat cakes about 4 inches (10.2 cm) in diameter and 1/2 in thick.
Dominican Republic
As an alternative to side-dishes like French fries, arepitas de yuca are consumed, which are deep-fried buttered lumps of shredded cassava. Bollitos, similar to the Colombian ones are also made. Also, a type of empanadaEmpanada
An empanada is a stuffed bread or pastry baked or fried in many countries in Latin America, Southern Europe and parts of Southeast Asia. The name comes from the verb empanar, meaning to wrap or coat in bread. Empanada is made by folding a dough or bread patty around the stuffing...
called catibía has its dough made out of cassava flour. It is also just peeled and boiled then eaten with olive oil and vinegar and served with other root vegetables like potatoes, ñame, yams, batata (sweet potatoes) and yautía (dasheen). Cassva is also used to make 'chulos', mainly in the Cibao
Cibao
Cibao, usually referred as "El Cibao", is a region of the Dominican Republic located at the northern part of the country.The Taíno word Cibao, meaning "place where rocks abound", was originally applied to the central mountain range, and used during the Spanish conquest to refer to the rich and...
region: grated cassava and other are shaped into a cylindrical form, much like a croquette
Croquette
A croquette is a small fried food roll containing, usually as main ingredients, mashed potatoes, and/or ground meat , shellfish, fish, vegetables, and soaked white bread, egg, onion, spices and herbs, wine, milk, beer or any of the combination thereof, sometimes with a filling, often encased in...
, and fried. Also it is an important ingredient for sancocho
Sancocho
Sancocho is a traditional soup in several Spanish and Latin American cuisines. Variations represent popular national dishes in the Canary Islands of Spain, Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Peru, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela...
.
Puerto Rico
The root, in its boiled and peeled form, is also present in the typical Puerto Rican stew, the sancocho, together with plantains, potatoes, yautía, among other vegetables (it can also be eaten singly as an alternative to boiled potatoes or plantains). It can beground and used as a paste (masa) to make a typically Puerto Rican Christmas favorite dish called pasteles. These are somewhat similar to Mexican tamales in appearance, but are made with root vegetables, plantains or yuca, instead of corn. Pasteles are rectangular and have a meat filling in the center, chicken or pork. They are wrapped in a plantain leaf. Masa made from cassava is also used for alcapurrias. These are filled with meat similar to the pasteles but they are fried instead. Yuca in Puerto Rico is also fried, smashed with broth and then stuffed with chicharrón or bacon to make mofongo
Mofongo
Mofongo is a fried plantain-based dish from Puerto Rico. There are also similar dishes, made by boiling and mashing plantains, known as fufu de plátano in Cuban cuisine and Mangú in the Dominican Republic.-Description:...
de yuca.
Jamaica
In JamaicaJamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, cassava is traditionally made into bammy
Bammy
Bammy or bami is a traditional Jamaican cassava flatbread descended from the simple flatbread eaten by the Arawaks, Jamaica's original inhabitants. Today, it is produced in many rural communities and sold in stores and by street vendors in Jamaica and abroad.Bammies have been consumed since...
, a small fried cassava cake inherited from the native Arawak Indians. The cassava root is grated, rinsed well, dried, salted, and pressed to form flat cakes about 4 inches (10.2 cm) in diameter and 1/2 in thick. The cakes are baked until firm and can be stored for a long time if properly done. These can be prepared by dipping in coconut milk, water or regular milk and fried. Bammies are usually served as a starchy side dish with breakfast, with fish dishes or alone as a snack.
The Bahamas & Turks and Caicos Islands
In The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, cassava is eaten boiled, either alone or with sweet potatoes, cabbage, plantains, and meat. Alternatively, it is cooked in soups with okra or with dumplings.Eastern Caribbean
In the islands of the Eastern Caribbean, cassava is traditionally peeled and boiled and served with flour dumplings and other root vegetables like potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes and dasheen. A form of cassava bread is also found in Trinidad and TobagoTrinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
which derived from the local Amerindian tribe.
Bermuda
Cassava pie is a traditional Christmas and thanksgiving dish. The cassava is normally bought frozen, washed through a cotton cloth, squeezed dry then mixed with egg, butter, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla and sugar. It is either layered in a baking dish in alternate layers with chicken or cassava alone. It is then baked in the oven for a few hours to kill the toxins. It is eaten as a savoury dish with whole turkey, ham, macaroni and cheese, stuffing, gravy, barbecue chicken and peas and rice. It is also available year-round cooked at most supermarket lunch delis.Belize
In BelizeBelize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
, cassava is traditionally made into bammy, a small fried cassava cake inherited from the Garifuna. The bile up (or boil up) is considered the cultural dish of the Kriol
Belizean Kriol people
The Belizean Creoles, locally known as Kriols, are Creole descendants of English and Scottish log cutters, as well as Black African slaves brought to Belize. Other small minorities include Creoles and the Miskito from Nicaragua, Jamaicans, and other West Indians who assisted in the logging...
s. It is combination boiled eggs
Boiled eggs
Boiled eggs are eggs cooked by immersion in boiling water with their shells unbroken. Hard-boiled eggs are either boiled long enough for the egg white and then the egg yolk to...
, fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
and/or pig
Domestic pig
The domestic pig is a domesticated animal that traces its ancestry to the wild boar, and is considered a subspecies of the wild boar or a distinct species in its own right. It is likely the wild boar was domesticated as early as 13,000 BC in the Tigris River basin...
tail
Tail
The tail is the section at the rear end of an animal's body; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. It is the part of the body that corresponds roughly to the sacrum and coccyx in mammals, reptiles, and birds...
, with number of ground foods such as cassava, green plantains, yams, sweet Potatoes, and tomato sauce
Tomato sauce
A tomato sauce is any of a very large number of sauces made primarily from tomatoes, usually to be served as part of a dish...
. The cassava root is grated, rinsed well, salted, and pressed to form flat cakes about 4 inches (10.2 cm) in diameter and 1/2 in thick. The cakes are lightly fried, then dipped in coconut milk and fried again. Bammies are usually served as a starchy side dish with breakfast, with fish dishes or alone as a snack. Cassava Pone is a traditional Belizean Kriol
Belizean Kriol people
The Belizean Creoles, locally known as Kriols, are Creole descendants of English and Scottish log cutters, as well as Black African slaves brought to Belize. Other small minorities include Creoles and the Miskito from Nicaragua, Jamaicans, and other West Indians who assisted in the logging...
and pan-West Indian dessert recipe for a classic cassava flour cake sometimes made with coconuts and raisins.
Garifuna
Among the Garifuna, cassava bread (ereba) is prepared in an ancient and time-consuming process involving a long, snake-like woven basket (ruguma) which strains the cassava of its juice. It is then dried overnight and later sieved through flat rounded baskets (hibise) to form flour that is baked into pancakes on a large iron griddle. Ereba is eaten with fish, hudutu (pounded green and ripe plantains) or alone with gravy (lasusu).Guatemala
In GuatemalaGuatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, cassava is usually served as a side dish to any meal, mostly with soups. There are many typical cassava dishes, such as yuca con chicharrón (chicharron and boiled cassava) and platano con yuca (green or ripe plantains mashed together with boiled cassava).
Honduras
In HondurasHonduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
, cassava is used in a variety of soups and other dishes. Cassava is one of the main ingredients in Sopa de Caracol (Conch
Conch
A conch is a common name which is applied to a number of different species of medium-sized to large sea snails or their shells, generally those which are large and have a high spire and a siphonal canal....
soup). Another typical Honduran dish is Yuca con Chicharrón, which is served with lemon dripped raw cabbage and diced tomatoes, topped with chicharrones
Chicharrones
Chicharrón is a dish made of fried pork rinds. It is sometimes made from chicken, mutton, or beef.Chicharrón is popular in Andalucia, Spain, and in Latin America and other countries with Spanish influence, it is part of the traditional cuisines of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil , Colombia, Cuba,...
(pork rinds).
El Salvador
In El SalvadorEl Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, cassava is used in soups, or fried. Yuca frita con chicharrón is deep-fried yuca and served with curtido
Curtido
Curtido is a type of cabbage relish, lightly fermented. It is typical of Mexican and Central American cuisine. In Salvadoran cuisine it is usually made with pickled cabbage, onions, carrots, and sometimes lemon juice and resembles sauerkraut, kimchi, or cole slaw. It is commonly served alongside...
(a pickled cabbage, onion and carrot topping) and pork rinds or pepesquitas (fried baby sardines). The cassava is sometimes served boiled instead of fried. Cassava is also used in nuegados (a fried or baked patty made of grated cassava and served with sugar cane syrup).
Costa Rica
In Costa RicaCosta Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, cassava is widely used, both boiled in soups or fried and served with fried pieces of pork and lime. This is sold as a snack in most places you travel. When travelling by bus, the bus is often boarded by a local trying to sell "sandwich bagged" snacks of yuca, pork and lime. Two main sources of food for locals in rural areas, living off resources within their own land, are yuca and plantain.
Panama
In PanamaPanama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, cassava is sometimes used to make carimanolas. The boiled cassava is mashed into a dough and then filled with spiced meat. The meat-filled dumplings are deep fried to a golden brown. It is also used in brothy soups together with chicken, potatoes, and other vegetables.
Nicaragua
In NicaraguaNicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, cassava is used in soups and in the Nicaraguan typical dish vigoron
Vigoron
Vigorón is a traditional Nicaraguan dish. It consists of a cabbage salad known as curtido , boiled yuca, and chicharrones wrapped in plantain...
, which basically consists of boiled cassava, chicharron, and cabbage salad. Cassava is also used to make buñuelos
Buñuelos
A Buñuelo alternatively called bimuelo, birmuelo, bermuelo, burmuelo, bonuelo; ) is a fried dough ball. It is a popular snack in Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Spain, Peru, the Philippines, Turkey, Greece, Morocco, and is a tradition at Christmas, Ramadan and among Sephardic Jews at...
and is one of the main ingredients in the national dish vaho
Vaho
Vaho is a mix of meat, green plantains and yuca cooked in banana leaves. It is a traditional Nicaraguan dish originated from the mix of cultures between the indigenous, mestizos and afro-Nicaraguans of the country....
.
Argentina
In Argentina the mandioca is very popular in the northern provinces of Corrientes, Misiones and Formosa, where it is a staple food.Bolivia
Cassava is very popular in BoliviaBolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
and consumed in a variety of dishes. It is common, after boiling it, to fry it with oil and eat it with a special hot sauce known as llajwa
Llajwa
Llajua or llajwa is a hot sauce prepared from hot chili peppers called locotos and tomato. Sometimes onions are added, and one of two seasoning herbs cultivated especially for this purpose: kilkiña in Cochabamba and wakataya in the Altiplano and other valleys of Bolivia...
or along with cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
and choclo (dried corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
).
In warm and rural areas, cassava is used as a substitute of bread in everyday meals. The capacity of cassava to be stored for a long time makes it suitable as an ideal and cheap reserve of nutrients. Recently, more restaurants, hotels and common people are including cassava into their original recipes and everyday meals as a substitute for potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
and bread.
Brazil
Cassava is heavily featured in the cuisine of BrazilCuisine of Brazil
Brazilian cuisine, like Brazil itself, varies greatly by region. The natural crops available in each region add to their singularity.Brazilian cooking, while it has many similarities with that of its South American neighbors, is distinct...
. In the guise of farofa
Farofa
Farofa is a toasted manioc flour mixture, though variants are made with maize flour , and flavors can vary. It is eaten in South America and West Africa, especially in Brazil and Nigeria, where a variant is known as gari. It can be found commercially produced and packaged but is often prepared at...
(lightly roasted flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
), cassava combines with rice and beans to make the basic meal of many Brazilians. Farofa is also a frequent side dish to many Brazilian foods including the national dish feijoada
Feijoada
Feijoada is a stew of beans with beef and pork, which is a typical from Brazilian Cuisine, is also typical in Angola, Mozambique, Goa, India and other former Portuguese colonies. In Brazil, feijoada is considered by many as the national dish...
, a salted-pork and black-beans stew. The dish vaca atolada ("mud-stranded cow") is a meat and cassava stew, cooked until the root has turned into a paste. Pirão is a thick gravy-like gruel prepared by cooking fish bits (such as heads and bones) with cassava flour. Boiled cassava is also made into a popular sweet pudding
Pudding
Pudding most often refers to a dessert, but it can also be a savory dish.In the United States, pudding characteristically denotes a sweet milk-based dessert similar in consistency to egg-based custards, though it may also refer to other types such as bread and rice pudding.In the United Kingdom and...
or "cassava cake". After boiling, cassava may also be deep-fried to form a snack or side dish.
Colombia
In the northern coast region of ColombiaColombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, cassava is used mainly in the preparation of sancocho and other soups. The pandebono
Pandebono
Pandebono is a type of bread made of corn flour, cassava starch, cheese and eggs. It is consumed with hot chocolate a few minutes after baking when is still warm...
bread, made of cassava dough
Dough
Dough is a paste made out of any cereals or leguminous crops by mixing flour with a small amount of water and/or other liquid. This process is a precursor to making a wide variety of foodstuffs, particularly breads and bread-based items , flatbreads, noodles, pastry, and similar items)...
, is a specialty of the Valle del Cauca State
Valle del Cauca Department
Valle del Cauca is a department of Colombia. It is in the western side of the country, facing the Pacific Ocean, and it is considered one of the most important departments in the Republic of Colombia. Its capital is Santiago de Cali...
.
In the coastal region, cassava is known especially in the form of bollo de yuca and enyucados. "Bollo de yuca" is a dough made of ground yuca that is wrapped in aluminum foil and then boiled, and is served with butter and cheese. Enyucado is a dessert made of ground boiled yuca, anise, sugar, and sometimes guava jam. In the caribbean region of Colombia, cassava is also eaten roasted, fried or boiled with soft homemade cheese or cream cheese
Cream cheese
Cream cheese is a soft, mild-tasting, white cheese with a high fat content. Traditionally, it is made from unskimmed milk enriched with additional cream....
and mainly as a garnish of fish dishes.
Suriname
In SurinameSuriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
, cassava is widely used by the Creole, Indian, Javanese and indigenous population. Telo is a popular dish which is salted fish and cassava, where the cassava is steamed and deepfried. Other dishes with cassava include soups, dosi and many others.
Ecuador
In EcuadorEcuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, cassava is included in a number of dishes. In the highlands, it is found boiled in soups and stews, as a side in place of potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
es, and it is processed into laminar fried chips called yuquitos which are a substitute for potato chips.
Ecuadorians also make bread
Bread
Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...
from cassava flour and mashed cassava root, including the extremely popular bolitos de yuca or yuquitas which range from balls of dough formed around a heart of fresh cheese and deep-fried (found primarily in the north), to the simpler variety typical to Colombia which are merely baked balls of dough. Cassava flour is sold in most markets.
In the Amazon Basin
Amazon Basin
The Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...
, cassava is a main ingredient in chicha
Chicha
For the musical genre, see Peruvian cumbiaChicha is a term used in some regions of Latin America for several varieties of fermented and non-fermented beverages, rather often to those derived from maize and similar non-alcoholic beverages...
, a traditional fermented drink produced by the indigenous Quichua population often made by chewing up and spitting out the raw cassava which is subsequently fermented for a few hours to a couple of days.
Cassava leaves, steamed, are part of the staple diet of the indigenous population in all areas where it is grown.
Paraguay
Cassava is a staple dish of ParaguayParaguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
. It grows extremely well in the soil conditions throughout the country, and it is eaten at practically every meal. It is generally boiled and served as a side dish. It is also ground into a flour and used to make chipa, a bagel-shaped cheesy bread popular during holidays.
Peru
Cassava is also popular in PeruPeru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
where it is used both boiled and fried. Boiled cassava is usually served as a side dish or in soup, while fried it is usually served together with onion
Onion
The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...
s and pepper
Capsicum
Capsicum is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. Its species are native to the Americas where they have been cultivated for thousands of years, but they are now also cultivated worldwide, used as spices, vegetables, and medicines - and have become are a key element in...
s as an aperitif or accompanying chicha.
Venezuela
Cassava is an essential ingredient in Venezuelan food, and can be found stewed, roasted or fried as side dish, sometimes with cheese, butter, or margarine. As in the Dominican Republic, cassava bread (casabe) is also a popular complement in traditional meals, such as the arepas. Venezuelan casabe is made by roasting ground cassava spread out as meter wide pancake over a hot surface (plancha) or any flattop grillFlattop grill
A flattop grill is a cooking appliance that resembles a griddle but performs differently because the heating element is circular rather than straight . This heating technology creates an extremely hot and even cooking surface, as heat spreads in a radial fashion over the surface...
. The result has the consistency of a cracker, and is broken into small pieces for consumption. There is also a sweet variety, called naiboa, made as a sandwich of two casabe pancakes with a spread of papelón
Rapadura
Rapadura is the Portuguese name for a form of sugarcane juice, used as a sweetener or as a candy, common in Latin American countries such as Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela and the Caribbean. See also panela...
in between. Naiboa also has a softer consistency.
Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
, particularly in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
and Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
, cassava is commonly prepared as eba
Eba
Ẹbà is a staple food eaten in West Africa, particularly in the Southern parts of Nigeria made from cassava flour, known in West Africa as gari....
or garri
Garri
Garri is a popular West African food made from cassava tubers. The spelling 'garri' is mainly used in Nigeria, Cameroon, Sierra Leone and 'gari' in Ghana....
. The cassava is grated, pressed, fermented and fried then mixed with boiling water to form a thick paste. In West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
the cassava root is pounded, mixed with boiling water to form a thick paste and cooked like eba.
In Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, cassava is the most favoured among all root crops and even all food crops by Ghanaian consumers.
In Central Africa
Central Africa
Central Africa is a core region of the African continent which includes Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda....
, cassava is traditionally processed by boiling and mashing. The resulting mush can be mixed with spices and then cooked further or stored. A popular snack is made by marinating cassava in salted water for a few days and then grilling it in small portions.
Though the methods of cooking cassava vary from region to region, the main method is simply frying it. The skin of the root is removed and the remains are sectioned into small bite-size chunks that can then be soaked in water to aid in frying. Thereafter, the chunks are fried and then served, sometimes with a chili-salt mixture. This fried cassava is a very common street food as it is relatively cheap to buy, easy to prepare and good to eat. The same applies to another very common roadside method where the cassava is lightly boiled and cut into straight pieces about 8–10 in (20.3–25.4 cm) long. These pieces are then roasted over charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
grills, served hot by splitting through the middle and applying the chili-salt mixture.
Cassava flour can also be made into a staple food with a consistency like polenta or mashed potatoes. The Swahili name for it is ugali
Ugali
Ugali is an East African dish of maize flour cooked with water to a porridge- or dough-like consistency. It is the most common staple starch of much of Eastern and Southern Africa...
while the Kikuyu name for it is 'mwanga'. It's also called fufu in Lingala and luku in Kikongo.
Residents in the Sub-Saharan nation of the Central African Republic
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the north east, South Sudan in the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo in the south, and Cameroon in the west. The CAR covers a land area of about ,...
have developed multiple, unique ways of utilizing the abundant cassava plant. In addition to the methods described above, local residents fry thin slices of the cassava root, resulting in a crunchy snack similar in look and taste to potato chips.
In the provinces of Bandundu and Bas-Congo, in Western Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
manioc root is pounded into a paste, fermented and cooked in banana or other forest leaves. The resulting hard packets make for good travel food due to their long shelf-life. This form of manioc is called kwanga in Kikongo and Lingala.
The root can be pounded into flour and made into bread or cookies. Many recipes have been documented and tested with groups of women in Mozambique and Zambia. This flour can also be mixed with precise amounts of salt and water to create a heavy liquid used as white paint in construction.
The cassava leaf is also soaked and boiled for extended periods of time to remove toxins and then eaten. Known as gozo in Sango, sakasaka in Kikongo, sombe in Swahili and mpondu in Lingala, the taste is similar to spinach
Spinach
Spinach is an edible flowering plant in the family of Amaranthaceae. It is native to central and southwestern Asia. It is an annual plant , which grows to a height of up to 30 cm. Spinach may survive over winter in temperate regions...
.
India
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, cassava is a secondary staple food
Staple food
A staple food is one that is eaten regularly and in such quantities that it constitutes a dominant portion of a diet, and that supplies a high proportion of energy and nutrient needs. Most people live on a diet based on one or more staples...
. Boiled cassava is normally eaten with fish curry
Curry
Curry is a generic description used throughout Western culture to describe a variety of dishes from Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Thai or other Southeast Asian cuisines...
(kappayum meenum in Malayalam which literally means casava with fish) or meat, and is a traditional favorite of many Keralites. Kappa biriyani—cassava mixed with meat is a popular dish in central Kerala. In Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
it is called Kappa Kellangu or Marchini Kellangu. The household name for processed cassava in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
is saggu biyyam. Cassava is also deep fried in oil to make tasty homemade crisps, then sprinkled with flaked chillies or chilli powder and salt for taste. It is known as Mara Genasu in Kannada.
Cassava pearls (sabudaana साबु दाणा) are made from cassava-root starch, and are used for making sweet milk pudding in many parts of India. In western India, cassava pearls are used to make a salted and lightly spiced khichadi, or deep-fried patties known as vada
Vada
Vada ; also known as wada or vade or vadai , is a savoury fritter-type snack from South India.-Description:Vada can vary in shape and size, but are usually either doughnut- or disc-shaped and are about between 5 and 8 cm across. They are made from dal, lentil, gram flour or potato.Vada is a...
. These are considered pure foods by Hindus in Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
which can be eaten during fasts, when other foods cannot be partaken.
Indonesia
Cassava is widely eaten in IndonesiaIndonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, and used as a staple food
Staple food
A staple food is one that is eaten regularly and in such quantities that it constitutes a dominant portion of a diet, and that supplies a high proportion of energy and nutrient needs. Most people live on a diet based on one or more staples...
during hard times but has lower status than rice. It is boiled or fried (after steaming), baked under hot coals, or added to kolak
Kolak
Kolak or Kolek is an Indonesian dessert made with palm sugar and coconut milk, with pandanus leaf for flavour. In some versions, mung beans are also used, and cooked till soft. Banana may be added to this base, the dish then being known as kolek pisang...
dessert. It is also fermented to make peuyeum and tape, a sweet paste which can be mixed with sugar and made into a drink, the alcoholic (and green) es tape. It is available as an alternative to potato crisps. Gaplek
Gaplek
Gaplek is the Javanese and Indonesian word for the sliced dried root of cassava. It is produced in the limestone uplands of Java, where soils are poor enough that rice grows poorly. The cassava root is harvested, peeled, sliced into pieces 6 to 8 inches long, and dried in the sun for 1 to 3...
, a dried form of cassava, is an important source of calories in the off-season in the limestone hills of southern Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
.
Their young leaves also eaten, cooked in different ways in different regional cuisines, e.g. as gulai daun singkong (cassava leaves in coconut milk), boiled and served dry in Padang
Padang, Indonesia
Padang is the capital and largest city of West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is located on the western coast of Sumatra at . It has an area of and a population of over 833,000 people at the 2010 Census.-History:...
cuisine, boiled with spices in Javanese cuisine
Javanese cuisine
Javanese cuisine is the cuisine of Javanese people. In wider sense, Javanese cuisine might also refer to the cuisine of the whole people of Java Island, Indonesia; which also include Sundanese in West Java, Betawi people in Jakarta and Madurese on Madura Island off East Java...
, as urap (Javanese salad), and as the main ingredient in buntil
Buntil
Buntil is a traditional Javanese dish of "scraped coconut meat mixed with teri and spices, wrapped in a papaya leaf, then boiled in coconut milk." Described as "shredded coconut with anchovy-type fish wrapped in papaya leaves," the dish is served at Tembi's Resort Ndeso.-See...
(Javanese vegetable rolls).
Malaysia
In Malaysia, cassava was a staple foodStaple food
A staple food is one that is eaten regularly and in such quantities that it constitutes a dominant portion of a diet, and that supplies a high proportion of energy and nutrient needs. Most people live on a diet based on one or more staples...
during the Japanese occupation in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Often cassava was boiled and served with sambal tumis
Sambal
Sambal is a chili based sauce which is normally used as a condiment. Sambals are popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the southern Philippines and Sri Lanka, as well as in the Netherlands and in Suriname through Javanese influence. It is typically made from a variety of chili peppers and is...
. In Malaysia, cassava is also processed into kerepek ubi, in which the cassava is sliced thinly and then deep-fried. Cassava is also used to make tapai
Tapai
Tapai or tape , sometimes referred to as peuyeum , is a traditional fermented food found throughout much of East- and Southeast Asia. It is a sweet or sour alcoholic paste...
. Young cassava leaves can also be cooked with coconut milk to make masak lemak pucuk ubi.
Philippines
Cassava is mainly prepared as a dessert. Traditional methods of preparation include steaming, mashing, grating, boiling, and frying. It is made into bibingkaBibingka
Bibingka is a type of rice cake from the Philippines. It is traditionally eaten during Christmas season.-Preparation:Bibingka is made with rice flour and coconut milk or water. Other ingredients can vary greatly, but the most common secondary ingredients are eggs and milk. The traditional...
, suman
Suman (food)
Suman is a rice cake originating from the Philippines. It is made from glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk, and often steamed in banana leaves. It is served wrapped in buli or buri palm leaves and usually eaten sprinkled with sugar...
, pudding, chips, cassava cake, cassava balls, pancakes, or coated with caramelized sugar.
The leaves are also cooked and eaten.
Sri Lanka
Though cassava is not widely cultivated in Sri Lanka, tapioca, called manyok, is used as a supplementary food. Some Sri Lankans take it as breakfast. Often the root is taken fresh and cleaned boiled in an open pot. Some preparations add saffron to make it little yellowish in color. Maniyok is often eaten with scraped coconut. Another popular preparation adds katta sambol (red hot chili mix) with boiled tapioca.Maniyok curry is a side dish often served with rice, a Sri Lankan staple food. There is a belief among Sri Lankans that one should not take maniyok together with ginger which will cause food poisoning. Leaves of the plant are also prepared as side dish and called malluma. Dried, powdered, and starched tapioca are widely used in Sri Lanka.
Vietnam
Cassava is planted almost everywhere in Vietnam and its root is amongst the cheapest sources of food there. The fresh roots are sliced into thin pieces and then dried in the sun. Tapioca is the most valuable product from processed cassava roots there.Oceania
Cassava was imported to PolynesiaPolynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
during the 19th century. The typical mode of preparation by Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
ns and Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
ns is steam-baking in underground ovens, although boiling in water or baking in coconut cream is also common. Polynesians have also adapted cassava into traditional desserts such as faikakai (Tonga) and fa'ausi (Samoa) which are prepared by steaming or baking finely grated (or mashed) cassava with coconut cream, brown sugar, and/or fruit juice.