Cassava belongs to the category of root vegetables. She has several names, including just a cassava without ending with the letter “a”. At home, some call it cassava.
Most often, it is found in developing countries. Local residents use it as one of the main stores of nutrients. This is explained by the fact that root crops offer abundant starch in abundance. But there is one significant drawback.
If you go too far with the dosage, especially in the raw form, then you can encounter serious food poisoning. Because of this, local people prepare dishes based on it far from every day.
Distinctive features
Cassava came from South America. Now, not only tourists know about this spicy root vegetable, but also fans of exotic ingredients for their dishes. Due to the large amount of carbohydrates, it is often used for the main diet, but only after heat treatment.
The main feature of tubers is the ability to adapt to the terrible drought, which is characteristic of some tropical regions. Thanks to this, cassava has already been called one of the most drought-tolerant crops.
Americans prefer to call the plant a yucca or a Brazilian arrowroot. But to most Russian-speaking consumers who are interested in unusual cuisines of the world, it is familiar under the name of the indigenous inhabitants of the southern regions.
Despite the fact that it is allowed to use different parts of the representative of the flora, more often eaters are limited to the underground part. Moreover, it is characterized by really good versatility, since it is used not only just in a cooked form. Cassava with fish is a frequent meal on the table of indigenous tribes of tropical regions. There are even craftsmen who put it on flour, from which nutritious cakes, crackers, bread are baked. The starch groats from the South American plant are in demand. It was this spine that became the basis for the creation of tapioca.
One of the most important advantages of using the presented miracle of nature is the almost complete absence of food allergies, which can not be said about analogues. The danger can be only individual intolerance, but not a classic allergic reaction. This was made possible thanks to the absence of gluten, which allergy sufferers do not tolerate.
Heap of benefits
World scientists recently completed a series of scientific experiments, during which they studied the effect of plant components on preventing the development of cancer.
If you use tapioca on a regular basis, you can get a powerful preventive shield against development:
- diabetes mellitus;
- problems with blood circulation;
- destabilization of red blood cells;
- imbalance of fluid in the body;
- high cholesterol;
- destructive processes for bone tissue.
Thanks to its rich energy composition, it will even be possible to reduce the possible risks of birth defects.
An exotic addition to the table will appeal to those who are constantly suffering from improper digestion, or who want to take up prevention of Alzheimer’s in advance. It does not hurt to include cassava in the diet for patients with suspected problems regarding the functioning of the heart muscle.
But the most surprising effect can be safely called weight gain, when traditional therapy is no longer able to cope. There are also recipes that are passed down from generation to generation, with the help of which a properly prepared cassava will fight for the health of the gall bladder, colon and even the prostate gland.
But against the backdrop of numerous positive aspects, there are several potential disadvantages, among which there is a danger of becoming a victim of hydrocyanic acid. This threat extends exclusively to those eaters who ate too much raw root in one go.
It is also worthwhile to be careful about the long-term intake of not particularly pure raw materials. Inaccuracy can lead to ambiliopia, ataxia. Careful attention should be paid to children, since the influence of a vegetable is manifested brighter on them, up to the onset of paralysis.
Among the plants there are several varieties of varieties, some of which have strong laxative properties that are “stored” in the seeds.
Preparatory stage
In order to negate the risks of accidental cyanide poisoning, you need to properly prepare the fetus before use. To do this, you need to not only rid the root of the upper layer, but also cut it into pieces. It will be useful to soak them first in cold water, and only then send them to boil. You can conduct an experiment by grinding pre-harvested cubes, sending them to dry for subsequent winter use.
If the body requires a special exotic, you can taste the leaves, which:
- cut first;
- sending to boiling water;
- dipped in ice water;
- repeat the procedure.
As soon as the workpiece appears finished, it is put into storage in the refrigerator, leaving it there for several hours.
It is very important not to throw out the liquid in which the leaves were cooked. It must be diluted with plain water or fruit juice. The sage is advised to drink the resulting solution every morning to replenish the depleted body with vitamin B17. It is quite difficult to find in such a high concentration among other familiar foods. B17 is the main guard opposing the development of cancer.
But if you don’t feel like rooting at the root crop, you can go the alternative way – buy tapioca. Unusual white starchy balls after cooking become dark in color. Upon completion of cooking, sprinkle them with powdered sugar on top, eating for dessert. The inhabitants can recognize them in an ordinary cup of bubble tea.
Observing the precautionary rules, everyone can enjoy an unfamiliar, but very nutritious supplement.