Pure Cassava Flour

Cassava is a root vegetable and a staple food for many throughout Latin America, Africa and Asia. It is a long, woody root that originates from South America and the Caribbean where native peoples used it to extract starches, grate into meals and prepare breads and other staple foods. When Europeans – particularly the Portuguese – invaded the Americas, they adopted the root into their own cooking, fusing it with European and African techniques to form new dishes. As well, they took cassava roots to colonies in Africa and Asia.

Cassava goes by many names, including yucca, manioc and tapioca. From this root, we get tapioca pudding along with the chewy pearls you find in bubble tea. Fresh cassava root is available at many Caribbean, Latin American and African groceries. It is typically boiled or fried and has a very dense, starchy texture with a slight chewiness.