Food Of The Future - Cassava

Video: Food Of The Future - Cassava

Video: Food Of The Future - Cassava
Video: Philippines: Cassava, food of the future 2024, November
Food Of The Future - Cassava
Food Of The Future - Cassava
Anonim

The cassava shrub is native to South America and is distributed in the tropics and Thailand. It is used to make the popular tapioca, which feeds 1/3 of Africa.

Cassava is a plant that requires minimal care for rich harvests. Starch, extremely rich in calories, is extracted from the tubers and roots. The roots of sweet species are also edible. The plant is second in productivity after sugar cane. Unlike it, however, cassava is suitable for direct consumption and can be processed into flour. The fact that it is among the most productive plants grown for human consumption makes it an alternative food for the future.

The usable parts of cassava are almost all, each of which is loaded with different content. Edible root tubers are rich in starch, and raw roots - a glycoside of the hydrocyanic acid linamarin, manichotoxin. Their concentration divides the varieties into bitter and sweet. Bitter rhizomes are not consumed because doses of hydrocyanic acid are lethal to humans.

In direct consumption, it should be borne in mind that a dose of hydrocyanic acid in only 400 g of raw bitter cassava can be fatal. The consequences range from mild poisoning to ataxia and amblyopia.

Incurable forms of paralysis occur in children. At room temperature, hydrocyanic acid evaporates rapidly. However, its complete neutralization requires careful grinding of the tuber.

The seeds are also eaten. They have a laxative effect and treat nausea and vomiting.

In addition to its culinary application, cassava is useful in other aspects. For example, due to its antiseptic action, it is commonly used in Brazil for canning meat. Cassava ointment is useful for conjunctivitis and corneal ulcers. It is also used in some cosmetic products.

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