For billions of people around the world, bread is one of the most important parts of their diet and has been for thousands of years. Bread comes in many different forms and as people find out more and more about other cultures, different types of bread are becoming more popular in places other than their country of origin. For example, tortillas are not only eaten in Latin America anymore but are enjoyed by people far away in places like Australia too. One type of Latin American bread that may follow in the world-traveling footsteps of the tortilla is the cassava flatbread known as casabe.
Cassava is a plant native to South America and the Caribbean. The most important part of this plant is its root, which is made up of a starchy white or yellow flesh covered in rough brown skin. Cassava roots can grow up to almost twelve inches in length and with a diameter of between two and four inches.
Cassava has been cultivated for at least twelve centuries. The first cassava farmers may have lived in what is now the western parts of Brazil. When the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the Caribbean region, they found that the plant formed an important part of the diet of people throughout the Caribbean as well as in Central America and parts of South America. Portuguese traders took cassava to Africa, where it soon became one of the most important crops in the tropical parts, along with another American export, maize.
The root of the cassava plant is very rich in carbohydrates. It also contains lots of calcium and phosphorus, as well as a healthy dose of Vitamin C. At the same time, it contains only very small amounts of fat and sodium, so if you're watching your cholesterol or blood pressure, this is a great alternative.
The first people to use cassava to make flatbreads were the Arawak and Carib nations who lived in the Caribbean before anybody else. You can make your own bread just like they did. First you should remove the skin and then grate the flesh as fine as possible. Then you should squeeze out the poisonous liquid. You can use a special press for this.
If you want, you can now add salt to the pulp. Mix everything well. Then form flat patties of cassava pulp in a hot frying pan or in a special mold. You shouldn't add oil. Cook on both sides until golden. When the bread cools down, it hardens.
There are many different ways to eat the flatbread. You can enjoy it simply sprinkled with a little olive oil or you can add more elaborate toppings like avocado or eggs. Many people enjoy it like they would a tostada, with beans and different vegetables. It's great to use with dips or as croutons in soups. You can even use it as a base for a pizza with a difference.
To find cassava root outside of the tropics is not that easy. However, you may try stores that specialize in Caribbean or African foods. It may be easier to simply buy ready-made casabe. This you can buy from specialty stores, especially ones that cater to Dominican, Jamaican or other Caribbean clientele. Alternatively, you now have a great excuse for a trip to the Caribbean.
Cassava is a plant native to South America and the Caribbean. The most important part of this plant is its root, which is made up of a starchy white or yellow flesh covered in rough brown skin. Cassava roots can grow up to almost twelve inches in length and with a diameter of between two and four inches.
Cassava has been cultivated for at least twelve centuries. The first cassava farmers may have lived in what is now the western parts of Brazil. When the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the Caribbean region, they found that the plant formed an important part of the diet of people throughout the Caribbean as well as in Central America and parts of South America. Portuguese traders took cassava to Africa, where it soon became one of the most important crops in the tropical parts, along with another American export, maize.
The root of the cassava plant is very rich in carbohydrates. It also contains lots of calcium and phosphorus, as well as a healthy dose of Vitamin C. At the same time, it contains only very small amounts of fat and sodium, so if you're watching your cholesterol or blood pressure, this is a great alternative.
The first people to use cassava to make flatbreads were the Arawak and Carib nations who lived in the Caribbean before anybody else. You can make your own bread just like they did. First you should remove the skin and then grate the flesh as fine as possible. Then you should squeeze out the poisonous liquid. You can use a special press for this.
If you want, you can now add salt to the pulp. Mix everything well. Then form flat patties of cassava pulp in a hot frying pan or in a special mold. You shouldn't add oil. Cook on both sides until golden. When the bread cools down, it hardens.
There are many different ways to eat the flatbread. You can enjoy it simply sprinkled with a little olive oil or you can add more elaborate toppings like avocado or eggs. Many people enjoy it like they would a tostada, with beans and different vegetables. It's great to use with dips or as croutons in soups. You can even use it as a base for a pizza with a difference.
To find cassava root outside of the tropics is not that easy. However, you may try stores that specialize in Caribbean or African foods. It may be easier to simply buy ready-made casabe. This you can buy from specialty stores, especially ones that cater to Dominican, Jamaican or other Caribbean clientele. Alternatively, you now have a great excuse for a trip to the Caribbean.
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