Dr. Mariangeles Gomez
@nutribalance_bcn
Cassava is one of the most important food crops in the tropics, native to northern South America.
It is a root of American origin, which has spread over a wide area of the American tropics from Venezuela and Colombia to the Northwest of Brazil, with a predominance of sweet cassava types in the north and in the area of Brazil the bitter. Cassava in these populations is boiled root and starch is used to make breads, soups, tapioca. The most typical cassava food is a cookie-thin bread called CASABE.
There are no unified criteria in its elaboration and each region carries it out, depending on its tradition. The elaboration of cassava cakes, from the processing of cassava roots, has as its origin practices executed by the aborigines to process and store their basic food source. Since 1973, the introduction of some technologies that facilitate and improve the activity has been observed.
Currently it is prepared in a much faster and easier way for consumption in an industrial way, it is also good to note that we can easily do it at home. Countries like Cuba use it as a substitute for bread in meetings or parties, as we can see in this article from EL PAIS; in Venezuela it is an indispensable food in the home of many families, where they use it as a companion in many preparations.
Recipe on how to make casabe.
Ingredients:
– 500gr of cassava
-Water
– OPTIONAL: A touch of salt/ garlic powder/ or onion powder.
Preparation:
First peel the cassava. Then it is grated with a large rallo. Let it drain in a strainer for about 10 minutes. It is pressed with a cloth to remove all the liquid. After pressing it very well, salt is added (OPTIONAL) or any species that you most want; Cassava can be very versatile, it can be eaten with sweet or savory options.
Then spread this mixture on a plate or “budare” hot over medium heat (about 3mm thick). It is cooked on the griddle until the flour hardens, turning the corners with a spatula to make the casabe stronger. Cook until the mixture is golden brown and last. Finally, if possible, place these cakes under the sun to dry well.
Once we have our cassava or casabe toast prepared, we can eat it in many ways. Either as a companion to meals, combined with creams, fruit, vegetables, ceviches, etc. You can also make desserts with cassava. As we can see it is a very versatile food.
