Cassava

A root that ranges from 6-12 inches in length and from 2-3 inches in diameter. It has a tough brown skin which, when peeled, reveals a crisp, white flesh. Both kinds of cassava can appear as meal, tapioca and farina and can be bought ready made as cassava or manioc meal, which is used to make bammy. Sweet cassava is boiled and eaten as a starch vegetable. Bitter cassava contains a poisonous acid that can be deadly and must be processed before it can be eaten. (This is done by boiling the root in water for at least 45 minutes and discarding the water). Alternatively, grate the cassava and place it in a muslin cloth, then squeeze out as much of the acid as possible before cooking. Bitter cassava is used commercially but is not sold unprocessed in some countries.