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All
about Cassava
Cassava
is grown freely in the Caribbean, and other tropical countries.
Find below comprehensive information about this versatile
of vegetables.
Cassava
is grown for its enlarged starch-filled roots, which contains
nearly the maximum theoretical concentration of starch on a
dry weight basis among food crops. Fresh roots contain about
30% starch and very little protein. Roots are prepared much
like potato. They can be peeled and boiled, baked, or fried.
It is not recommended to eat cassava uncooked, because of potentially
toxic concentrations of cyanogenic glucosides that are reduced
to innocuous levels through cooking. In traditional settings
of the Americas, roots are grated and the sap is extracted through
squeezing or pressing. The cassava is then further dried over
a fire to make a meal or fermented and cooked. The meal can
then be rehydrated with water or added to soups or stews. In
Africa, roots are processed in several different ways. They
may be first fermented in water. Then they are either sun-dried
for storage or grated and made into a dough that is cooked.
Alcoholic beverages can be made from the roots.
Young
tender leaves can be used as a potherb, containing high levels
of protein (8-10% F.W.). Prepared in a similar manner as spinach,
care should be taken to eliminate toxic compounds during the
cooking process. One clone with variegated leaves is planted
as an ornamental.
Cassava
originated in Brazil and Paraguay. Today it has been given the
status of a cultigen with no wild forms of this species being
known.
Cassava
is a tropical root crop, requiring at least 8 months of warm
weather to produce a crop. It is traditionally grown in a savanna
climate, but can be grown in extremes of rainfall. In moist
areas it does not tolerate flooding. In drouthy areas it looses
its leaves to conserve moisture, producing new leaves when rains
resume. It takes 18 or more months to produce a crop under adverse
conditions such as cool or dry weather. Cassava does not tolerate
freezing conditions. It tolerates a wide range of soil pH 4.0
to 8.0 and is most productive in full sun.
Cassava
is a perennial woody shrub, grown as an annual. Cassava is a
major source of low cost carbohydrates for populations in the
humid tropics. The largest producer of cassava is Brazil, followed
by Thailand, Nigeria, Zaire and Indonesia. Production in Africa
and Asia continues to increase, while that in Latin America
has remained relatively level over the past 30 years. Thailand
is the main exporter of cassava with most of it going to Europe.
It was carried to Africa by Portuguese traders from the Americas.
It is a staple food in many parts for western and central Africa
and is found throughout the humid tropics. The world market
for cassava starch and meal is limited, due to the abundance
of substitutes.
Most
cassava is harvested by hand, lifting the lower part of stem
and pulling the roots out of the ground, then removing them
from the base of the plant by hand. The upper parts of the stems
with the leaves are removed before harvest. Levers and ropes
can be used to assist harvesting. A mechanical harvester has
been developed in Brazil. It grabs onto the stem and lifts the
roots from the ground. Care must be taken during the harvesting
process to minimize damage to the roots, as this greatly reduces
shelf life. During the harvesting process, the cuttings for
the next crop are selected. These must be kept in a protected
location to prevent desiccation.
The
shelf life of cassava is only a few days unless the roots receive
special treatment. Removing the leaves two weeks before harvest
lengthens the shelf life to two weeks. Dipping the roots in
paraffin or a wax or storing them in plastic bags reduces the
incidence of vascular streaking and extends the shelf life to
three or four weeks. Roots can be peeled and frozen. Traditional
methods include packing the roots in moist mulch to extend shelf
life.
Dried
roots can be milled into flour. Maize may be added during
the milling process to add protein to the flour. The flour
can be use for baking breads. Typically, cassava flour may
be used as partial substitute for wheat flour in making bread.
Bread made wholly from cassava has been marketed in the U.S.A.
to meet the needs of people with allergies to wheat flour.
Fresh
roots can be sliced thinly and deep fried to make a product
similar to potato chips. They can be cut into larger spear-like
pieces and processed into a product similar to french fires.
Roots
can be peeled, grated and washed with water to extract the
starch which can be used to make breads, crackers, pasta and
pearls of tapioca.
Unpeeled
roots can be grated and dried for use as animal feed. The
leaves can add protein to animal feed.
Industrial
uses where cassava is used in the processing procedures or
manufacture of products include paper-making, textiles, adhesives,
high fructose syrup and alcohol.
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