Cassava, the other potato

The other potato

Ever heard of cassava or yuca (popular name) and wondered what it was? Called by either name, we call it the South American potato, a super versatile root vegetable that is used across many cuisines in appetizers, main courses or desserts.
Growing up, I had more exposure to cassava then potatoes and I like both equally, but cassava seems to offer way more possibilities. In this article I’ll attempt to show you how.

 

Things to do with yuca

Like I said, the possibilities of cooking with yuca are endless. You can boil, fry, mash or bake it. Make it plain like boiled potatoes or use in soup, fried like chips or French fries, mash like mashed potatoes and in croquettes, baked like a cake or pie. Oh man, I could write a whole book about the variations!

Here are some examples or the various options.

Appetizers

• Fries with garlic sauce
• Chips
• Croquettes with spicy ketchup sauce
• Soup with vegetables (and meat)

Main entrees or sides

• Boiled with other root vegetables, served with salted fish
• Stir fried in a tasty sauce with shrimp
• Fried (telo) and served with spicy fried fish or bacalao
• Casserole with ground beef or steak

Desserts

• Soft cake or pie with coconut and raisins
• Pudding with dumplings and coconut milk
• Pastries with sweet coconut filling

These are just a few to name and they are only the ones I know from growing up in Suriname. As I’ve been exploring other cuisines of the Caribbean, South America and Asia, I’ve learned that each made cassava their own. Great for me! It is interesting to find the similarities in cuisines, but it also means that there will never be an end to possible recipes to try out!

I will be posting some of my favorite Surinamese recipes soon, but in the meantime, check out some of the best from the rest of the world.

• Cuban yuca with garlic
• Costa Rican yuca fries
• Dominican savory pastries
• Puerto Rican soup
• Colombian yuca pancakes
• Mexican cassava fritters
• Brazilian yuca cheese balls
• Indian curry cassava
• Indonesian cassava cake

Ready to try yuca?

You can find frozen yuca in grocery stores frequented by people from the Caribbean or South America, but some farmers markets also sell the fresh kind. Just a heads up though, the quality of fresh yuca is not always great. Since yuca does not grow in the USA (as far as I know), it has to be imported and who knows how long it takes to get to the market. I guess the starchiness of this root makes it prone to go bad faster.

After a few disappointments with fresh, I only buy frozen yuca now. The other benefit is that I don’t have to peel it myself! Peeling yuca can be a challenge! Here’s an article showing you how to peel and cook yuca the right way.

Fun fact

Yucca, spelled with two c’s is an entirely different plant. Today I learned that although edible, it is more often used as an ornamental plant for gardens. In Native American cultures yucca is also used for medicinal purposes. Find more yucca information here.

Want to know more about yuca/cassava? Here are some resources.

• https://www.lakewinds.coop/blog/what-is-it-yuca-cassava-root/
• https://www.verywellfit.com/cassava-nutrition-facts-calories-carbs-and-health-benefits-4177847

 

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