Vegetable
Manihot esculenta
S tier
Manihot esculenta is cassava (manioc, yuca)—a tropical woody shrub storing starch in elongated tuberous roots that feed hundreds of millions. Roots contain cyanogenic glycosides that require proper peeling, grating, soaking, or cooking; sweet and bitter landraces differ in toxin levels and use. Flesh is white to cream, dense, and mild when detoxified. Boil, fry as chips, ferment to gari, or dry to tapioca starches. Species covers all culinary cassava. Never eat raw bitter roots; follow regional detox methods.
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Characteristics
Preparations
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History
Amazonian peoples domesticated M. esculenta as a staple starch crop.
Portuguese and Spanish trade spread cassava across Africa and Asia.
Cassava became a foundational calorie crop across tropical Africa and Southeast Asia.
Research centres improved disease-resistant M. esculenta for food security.