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→See also: ah, those are in Cassava-based dishes so no point linking them separately here |
Etymology |
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Cassava is grown in sweet and bitter varieties; both contain toxins, but the bitter varieties have them in much larger amounts. Cassava has to be prepared carefully for consumption, as improperly prepared material can contain sufficient [[cyanide]] to cause [[cyanide poisoning|poisoning]]. The more toxic varieties of cassava have been used in some places as [[famine food]] during times of [[food insecurity]]. Farmers may however choose bitter cultivars to minimise crop losses.
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The generic name ''Manihot'' derives from the [[Guarani language|Guarani]] name "manioca" for the plant, while the specific name ''esculenta'' is Latin for 'edible'.<ref>{{cite web |title=''Manihot esculenta'' Crantz |url=Manihot esculenta Crantz |publisher=Singapore National Parks |access-date=7 July 2024 |quote=Genus Manihot is from the Tupi-Guarani name "manioca" which means cassava. Species esculenta means edible by humans.}}</ref>
== Description ==
The harvested part of a cassava plant is the root. This is long and tapered, with an easily detached rough brown rind. The white or yellowish flesh is firm and even in texture. Commercial [[cultivar]]s can be {{convert|5|to|10|cm|in|0}} wide at the top, and some {{convert|15|to|30|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} long, with a woody vascular bundle running down the middle. The roots are largely [[starch]], with small amounts of calcium (16 milligrams per 100 grams), phosphorus (27 mg/100 g), and [[Vitamin C|vitamin C]] (20.6 mg/100 g).<ref>{{cite web|title=Basic Report: 11134, Cassava, raw|url=https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2907?manu=&fgcd=&ds=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170712215400/https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2907?manu=&fgcd=&ds=|archive-date=12 July 2017|website=National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Release 28|date=May 2016|publisher=Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture|access-date=7 December 2016}}</ref> Cassava roots contains little [[protein]], whereas the leaves are rich in protein,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Latif |first1=Sajid |last2=Müller |first2=Joachim |title=Potential of cassava leaves in human nutrition: a review |journal=[[Trends in Food Science & Technology]] |year=2015 |volume=44 |issue=2 |pages=147–158 |doi=10.1016/j.tifs.2015.04.006 }}</ref> except for being low in [[methionine]], an essential [[amino acid]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Ravindran|first=Velmerugu |title=Preparation of cassava leaf products and their use as animal feeds |journal=FAO Animal Production and Health Paper |issue=95 |pages=111–125 |year=1992 |url=http://www.fao.org/Ag/AGA/AGAP/FRG/AHPP95/95-111.pdf |access-date=13 August 2010 |archive-date=15 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115022720/http://www.fao.org/Ag/AGA/AGAP/FRG/AHPP95/95-111.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref>
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