Cassava/Manioc

(Manihot esculenta)

Euphorbiaceae family

Cassava is also known as manioc and yuca. It is native to the New World tropics, where it was first domesticated perhaps as early as 8,000 B.C. Cassava has since become probably the most important source of carbohydrate calories in tropical regions throughout the earth. Although very high in carbohydrates, its edible storage roots are low in protein. There are both sweet and bitter cultivars, the bitter types having a high content of cyanogen glycosides, which are removed by boiling and draining off the water. Tapioca is made from the starch of the cassava root. Cassava has a chromosome number of 2n=36.

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