cassava
Sign in to saveManihot esculenta, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions as an annual crop for its edible starchy tuberous root. Cassava is predominantly consumed in boiled form, but substantial quantities are processed to extract cassava starch, called tapioca, which is used for food, animal feed, and industrial purposes. The Brazilian , and the related
AI overview
Cassava is a tropical shrub native to South America that's grown worldwide for its starchy, edible root, which can be boiled and eaten or processed into tapioca starch for food, animal feed, and industrial uses. It's an important crop in tropical and subtropical regions because it produces a nutritious, versatile staple food source from its underground tubers.
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Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Subclass of
- poisonous plant
- Part of
- Brazilian cuisine
- Parent taxon
- Manihot
- Image
- Des tubercules de manioc dans une cuvette.jpg
Show 5 more facts
- P105
- species
- P4000
- capsule
- P366
- agriculture
- P9714
- Gabon
Article
26 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Description
- Genome
- History
- Cultivation
- Harvesting
- Handling and storage
- Pests and diseases
- Viruses
- Bacteria
- Fungi and oomycetes
- Nematodes
- Insects
- Production
- Toxicity
- Uses
- Food and drink
- Preparation of bitter cassava
- Nutrition
- Biofuel
- Animal feed
- Laundry starch
- Folklore
- See also
- References
- External links
Manihot esculenta, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions as an annual crop for its edible starchy tuberous root. Cassava is predominantly consumed in boiled form, but substantial quantities are processed to extract cassava starch, called tapioca, which is used for food, animal feed, and industrial purposes. The Brazilian , and the related garri of West Africa, is an edible coarse flour obtained by grating cassava roots, pressing moisture off the obtained grated pulp, and finally drying and roasting it.
Cassava is the third-largest source of carbohydrates in food in the tropics, after rice and maize, making it an important staple; more than 500 million people depend on it. It offers the advantage of being exceptionally drought-tolerant, and able to grow productively on poor soil. The largest producer is Nigeria, while Thailand is the largest exporter of cassava starch.