Bread is probably the most important staple food in the world. There are many different types of bread, from the wheat or rye based loaves of Europe to Indian naan and the tortillas so ubiquitous in Latin American cuisine. For a taste of the Caribbean, you may want to casabe. This is a staple in countries like Jamaica and the Dominican Republic and is a type of flatbread made of cassava.
The cassava plant originated in the northern parts of South America and the islands of the Caribbean. It is used mainly for its starchy root. This root is long and thin, almost like a sweet potato, with a roughly-textured brown skin covering the inner flesh, which can be whitish or yellowish in color.
The first people to have cultivated cassava may have done so about twelve thousand years ago in the western parts of modern-day Brazil. By the time the Spanish arrived in the Americas, the root was a staple food in the northern parts of South America, throughout Central America and also in the Caribbean. The Portuguese took this plant as well as another staple food from the region, maize, to Africa where these two foods soon became the two most important crops. Today cassava is known throughout the tropics and its production in Africa and Asia surpasses that in Latin America.
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.
Many people enjoy the bread by simply sprinkling it with a little salt and olive oil. Others add eggs, avocado or other toppings, almost like a tostada. Use it with dips like guacamole or add it to soups instead of croutons. You may even want to experiment with the bread as a type of pizza base.
Cassava root is quite hard to find unless you're in the tropics. You may find it easier to buy ready-made casabe instead. Latin or Caribbean specialty stores may stock it or you can order it online. Of course, you may simply decide that the search for this versatile bread is just the excuse you need to go on a Caribbean vacation.
The cassava plant originated in the northern parts of South America and the islands of the Caribbean. It is used mainly for its starchy root. This root is long and thin, almost like a sweet potato, with a roughly-textured brown skin covering the inner flesh, which can be whitish or yellowish in color.
The first people to have cultivated cassava may have done so about twelve thousand years ago in the western parts of modern-day Brazil. By the time the Spanish arrived in the Americas, the root was a staple food in the northern parts of South America, throughout Central America and also in the Caribbean. The Portuguese took this plant as well as another staple food from the region, maize, to Africa where these two foods soon became the two most important crops. Today cassava is known throughout the tropics and its production in Africa and Asia surpasses that in Latin America.
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.
Many people enjoy the bread by simply sprinkling it with a little salt and olive oil. Others add eggs, avocado or other toppings, almost like a tostada. Use it with dips like guacamole or add it to soups instead of croutons. You may even want to experiment with the bread as a type of pizza base.
Cassava root is quite hard to find unless you're in the tropics. You may find it easier to buy ready-made casabe instead. Latin or Caribbean specialty stores may stock it or you can order it online. Of course, you may simply decide that the search for this versatile bread is just the excuse you need to go on a Caribbean vacation.
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