Cassava

A native of South and Central America, this starchy, tuberous root has thick, bark-like skin and creamy white flesh. There are two varieties, bitter and sweet. Both contain toxic hydrocyanic acid in the roots (the bitter variety containing most), which is removed by steaming or boiling it thoroughly before use. Tapioca is a refined starch derived from cassava. Sweet cassava can be cooked, mashed or fried just like a potato, and the young, tender leaves can be cooked like spinach. Dried cassava is processed to make a flour used in bread and cakes.