What is cassava?

Cassava is tuber of a plant what is grown in the tropical region. It trives well on mid dry to clay soil. Being a perenial crop, it has become a major staple food in the tropical regions and as well as a good export earner.


The following are the various use of cassava

1. The Cassava tuber as food - A cassava tuber veriety could be cooked and enjoyed with verieties of stews also, it could be pounded and enjoyed like the usual pounded yam.

2. Garri - The cassava is processed by grinding and squizzing out the starch content. The residue is left for three day to farment thereafter, it is fried with into sand-like grains and the quality is determined by the dryness. That is, the drier the better.

3. Fufu - Fufu follows similar process to garri but instead of frying, it is cooked into a pulp of verious hardness.

4. Amala - Cassava is processed into amala first by cutting into pieces soaking for two or three days, drying and grinding it into flour, the flour is then prepared similar to fufu.

5. Starch - The startch is usually a by-product in the garri process. Apart from being useful in other domestic application the cassava starch is a favourite food among the Urhobo people of Delta State.