Cassava, Manioc, Yuca |  |
Synonym: Manihot esculenta Crantz | |
Family: Euphorbiaceae |
A tropical herbaceous perennial plant growing up to 3 - 5m in height. The leaves are deeply indented, palmate 3 - 7 lobed, attached to a slender stem by long petioles. The flowers are small, greenish-yellow occurring in panicles. The seeds form in capsules, which explode upon ripening to distribute their load. The roots form large starchy tubers, somewhat similar to sweet potato, with a dark brown fibrous covering and white flesh.
Cassava is one of the most forgiving and adaptable plants. It grows well in tropical humid conditions but can also withstand draughts. It does well in poor soil where little else will grow. It requires little care and protects itself against predators by means of poisonous latex, which is particularly evident in the leaves. It is an ideal food crop for tropical growing conditions.
Cassava appears to have originated in Brazil and Paraguay, but has spread throughout tropical areas of South and Central America long before the arrival of Columbus. It is now one of the most important food crops in tropical countries throughout the world. It ranks as the 6th most important food crop worldwide, even though in western countries it is little known or used.
In mythology it is portrayed as a savior that protects against starvation. According to one story, Tupi woman in Brazil, long ago, was devastated as she watched her child starve to death. She buried the child's body under the floor of her hut. That night she was visited by a wood spirit, known as 'mani' who changed the child's body into the roots of a plant, which subsequently became known as 'mani oca' meaning 'wood spirit root'. This plant became the chief staple food for generations of Indians to come - and in time, of inhabitants of the tropics throughout the world. (Plotkin, 1993)
The tubers of Cassava or 'Yuca', as the plant is commonly known in South America, are extremely rich in starch - in fact, it is THE richest source of starch of any food plant (it contains up to 10 times as much starch as corn and twice as much as potatoes.). The large tubers, which can weigh up to 5kg, provide 30% of their dry weight as starch. However, the entire plant is poisonous if consumed raw, due to its linamarin content, a pre-cursor of cyanide glycosides. Even a relatively small amount can be fatal. Thus, the roots have to be rendered edible by a ritualized process of grating, washing the pulp and squeezing out the harmful juices. Heating also renders the substance harmless.
There are several different species of Cassava, but in the main it is differentiated as sweet and bitter types. The sweet varieties contain considerably less linamarin than the bitter types. Different types are used for different culinary uses - to make flour from which thin tortilla-like Cassava bread is made, to prepare a mush or to fry like French fries. Natives also make an unpalatable, but nevertheless culturally important ceremonial alcoholic beverage from Cassava, which is produced like Chicha - the women chew the Cassava and spit it into a large vat where it is allowed to ferment for a few days. The resultant brew is consumed during festival occasions. However unpalatable, to refuse it is considered an insult.
In non-tropical parts of the world the most widespread Cassava product is Tapioca, which is used to thicken liquids and in making jelly-like desserts.
The caloric value of Cassava is very high indeed and it also provides vitamins and minerals, but it is insufficient as a sole source of nutrition as it is almost completely devoid of protein. The leaves are also edible and are a much richer source of protein (up to 30%, compared to only 1-3% in the roots), but must be cooked thoroughly in order to render the prussic acid harmless. They are, to some extent, used as a pot herb. The young leaves are rich in vitamin B, C, Carotene, Calcium and Iron.
Cassava is not commonly used in herbal medicine, but indigenous people do employ it for various healing purposes. The leaves can be used as a styptic, while the starch mixed with rum has been used for skin problems, especially for children. Other indigenous uses include preparations for fever and chills, to treat sterile women and as an application for sore muscles.
There is current research underway to test Cassava as a type of gene-therapy to treat certain kinds of cancer. However, so far only animal studies have been undertaken (successfully). Folk medicine is employing both leaves and pulped roots as an application for tumors. (Duke, 1983)
Cassava may be a useful source of starch for people who are suffering from coeliac disease (gluten intolerance) as it does not contain any gluten at all. However, people who are allergic to latex should avoid this plant.
Cassava starch is used as an adhesive, in cosmetics and for making paper. Indigenous people use it as a fish poison.
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