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The Cassava (Manihot esculenta) is a flowering plant of the genus Manihot in the family of Euphorbiaceae (Euphorbiaceae). These are other names for this crop and its agricultural product (the harvested Rhizome) Mandioka, Cassava, Cassava or Latin America Yuca. The cultivation of the plant is widely used because of its starchy rhizomes. They originated in the Brazil and Paraguay and was used even before the discovery of America by the Europeans of the natives for food. In the meantime, it is grown throughout the world in many parts of the tropics and subtropics. Other species of the genus Manihot be used as a power supplier (see there).
Description
Cassava plants are large, perennial subshrubs with large, bulbous rhizomes, split hand-shaped leaves and three button-Kapselfrüchten.
Use
The rhizomes of 30-60 cm long, standing together in clusters, milchsaft-and starch-rich are toxic in its raw state, because they contain the substance Dhurrin. This cyanogenic Glycoside is stored in the vacuole in the plant cell and has no toxic effect. The plant however is violated (for example, by natural enemies), enters the substance in contact with ß Glucosidasen and the sugar is spun off. The now created Cyanhydrin can spontaneously or catalyzed by the Hydroxynitrillyase to the ketone and hydrocyanic acid decay. Indeed, there are cultivated forms which do not produce the deadly poison. These forms can grow but very bad, because they are at the mercy of their natural enemies without their Antibot.
Toxic effects include ataxia, and amblyopia. The hydrocyanic acid evaporates during heating. Since cassava has a low content of protein (about 1.2%) and very few essential amino acids (risk of kwashiorkor syndrome), such as the additional consumption of protein-rich cassava leaves is recommended - to counter deficiency symptoms.
The use of the tubers for food goes back to the indigenous people of South America. Cassava is even today a major staple in Brazil, especially in the North and northeast of the country.
How many tropical crops provides a high yield of cassava shrub with little effort.
The tubers are peeled, grated and grated and then soaked. After a few days it presses out the mass, she washes through the so-called Tipití and toasting them in ovens. The dimensions lingering in the press provides the cassava or Mandioka flour ()Farinha).
Manioc flour can be used similar to wheat flour. People with allergies to wheat and other grains therefore frequently use manioc flour as a substitute.
A by-product of the production of manioc flour is strength ()Polvilho), which, when it was roasted. Tapioca called.
In other regions, we obtain some other products; after modified procedures also to prepare cake (for example, the for adjustment), which are more or less similar to our bread from flour and mixes it the Mandioka flour with wheat flour in the Antilles and bakes bread from them ()Conaque).
The fresh root is used as a remedy for ulcers.
The leaves of the cassava is eaten as a vegetable. The seeds of some species are purgierend (laxative) and nausea erregend.
Dishes that are made from cassava in Brazil include (.) Beijú, Farofa or Tarubá. Is a dish that is extremely popular, especially in Peru Yuca à la Huancaina; Yuquitas There there is even at all major fast food chains as a snack.
Africa
500 Years ago, the Portuguese brought the plant to Africa, from where she continued their victory March until after South-East Asia. Today, its area covers about 5 million hectares of land, and the plant serves 500 million people as food. Cassava of great popularity is enjoyed particularly in Central Africa (especially Cameroon, Gabon and Congo). The flour ()Foufou) is often used for a kind of dumpling dough. The tuber is cooked like in the steam or water and often deep fried. Also the manioc leaves are a very popular dish: be prepared with peanut paste, oil palm fruit or coconut milk. Wrapped manioc sticks, palm leaves are very popular (and for European palate very getting used to) the Bibolo be called. Cassava or tapioca is also increased as fodder plant used for meat production in developed countries, because it represents a cheap raw material for animal nutrition. This leads in countries of origin to export-oriented monoculture and thus can jeopardize the diet of the people.
Is a disease that is with cassava in relation Diet. The usual method to remove the cyanide is to grind to flour the plant and process then with boiling water to form a paste. Despite the utmost care, only about 60% of cyanide are removed in this process. As a result many manioc eaters - especially children - suffer Diet, an incurable paralysis which affects especially the legs.
Was an alternative method of Howard Bardbury developed. The plant is ground into flour and mixed with water. Then the mixture in the shade will be thin (about 1 cm) spread out. There, you can be rest it for 56 hours. So, almost all cyanides can gas out.
Literature
- Howard Bardbury Food chemistry , Vol.. 101 S. 894
