Cut to the Core: How To Prepare Cassava

Credit: Maxime Iattoni

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Stand the segments up on their flat ends and, using a large chef's knife, cut away the peel of the cassava in strips, rotating the cylinder as you go until it's completely peeled.

Comments (4)

by ANN MARIAN on 2011-05-20

Hey loved the fact that you showed how to prepare cassava.Igrew up in the Caribbean and the 2nd step of your demo seems so hard.My mom showed me the most simple way .Score the sides from the topto the bottom and the skin peels right off.

by libia Chavez on 2011-06-03

Ann is right. Score the peel of the cassava and it comes off so easily, no wastage of the starchy stuff either. By the way the peel contains high concentrations of hydrocyanic acid, a reaction of the cyanogenic glycoside after exposure to air, a toxic substance which is even used as a rat poison by farmers in the Philippines

by michelleofried on 2013-01-07

Ann is certainly right. Thanks for that clarification. I live and cook in Ecuador, where we have lots of great casava /"yuca" (pronounced yookah). Once you have it peeled and the center fibrous cord removed, you can certainly boil it or grate it raw, but never would it be fried, or saut�ed without first boiling it. Its unique fiber doesn�t work, frying it directly.

by michelleofried on 2013-01-07

It�s also great roasted whole in the coals.