Cassava,a plant that has served so many purposes in the food world.
It can be processed through different ways into different forms for consumption.
As a source of carbohydrate, it is so much consumed by many especially in many African countries and Nigeria not excluded.
Cassava stem
The stem when planted and it grows brings out tubers of cassava which is the main source of the carbohydrate. But note, both the stem and the leaves serves as a nutritious feed for some herbivores ,eg. goat.
Cassava tubers
When the cassava is harvested, it is first peeled. The peel some might think is wasteful but its not. It also serves as food for some herbivores.
After the peeling, washing is done, some soak the cassava to ferment to be later processed into what we igbos call akpu (santana ), whitish in color. Consumed with soup. That is just one out of many of it's usefulness. Starch is also gotten from it.
The other way I know so well is the processing of cassava into Garri, a food widely consumed in Africa.
After the cassava must have been washed, it is ground into paste, put in a bag and pressed in a pressing machine or any local way till all the water is gotten rid of.
Sieving
When it has finally dried up, it is sieved and the chaff separated out.
Frying process
It is then finally fried under fire.
The frying is perfected only when the color of the sieved Garri which was white turns to light yellow or yellow, and the weight reduced during the frying process.
Garri paste ready for consumption
The Garri now produced is poured into hot water and is turned into a pasty form. In this form, it can be consumed with soup.
