Editing Cassava (section)

=== Preparation of bitter cassava ===

An ancestral method used by the [[Lucayan people|indigenous people of the Caribbean]] to detoxify cassava is by peeling, grinding, and mashing; filtering the mash through a basket tube (sebucan or tipiti) to remove the hydrogen cyanide; and drying and sieving the mash for flour. The poisonous filtrate water was boiled to release the hydrogen cyanide, and used as a base for stews.<ref name="Keegan-2008">{{Cite book |last1=Keegan |first1=William |title=Talking Taino: Caribbean Natural History from a Native Perspective (Caribbean Archaeology and Ethnohistory) |last2=Carlson |first2=Lisbeth |publisher=Fire Ant Books |year=2008 |isbn=978-0817355081 |page=74}}</ref>

A safe processing method known as the "wetting method" is to mix the cassava flour with water into a thick paste, spread it in a thin layer over a basket and then let it stand for five hours at 30&nbsp;°C in the shade.<ref name="Bradbury-2006">{{cite journal |last1=Bradbury |first1=J.H. |date=2006 |title=Simple wetting method to reduce cyanogen content of cassava flour |url=http://biology-assets.anu.edu.au/hosted_sites/CCDN/papers/Howard_06.pdf |journal=[[Journal of Food Composition and Analysis]] |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=388–393 |doi=10.1016/j.jfca.2005.04.012 |access-date=23 March 2018 |archive-date=5 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150205063243/http://biology-assets.anu.edu.au/hosted_sites/CCDN/papers/Howard_06.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> In that time, about 83% of the cyanogenic [[glycoside]]s are broken down by [[linamarase]]; the resulting hydrogen cyanide escapes to the atmosphere, making the flour safe for consumption the same evening.<ref name="Bradbury-2006" />

The traditional method used in West Africa is to peel the roots and put them into water for three days to ferment. The roots are then dried or cooked. In Nigeria and several other west African countries, including Ghana, Cameroon, Benin, Togo, Ivory Coast, and Burkina Faso, they are usually grated and lightly fried in palm oil to preserve them. The result is a foodstuff called [[garri]]. Fermentation is also used in other places such as Indonesia, such as [[Tapai]]. The fermentation process also reduces the level of antinutrients, making the cassava a more nutritious food.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Oboh |first1=G. |last2=Oladunmoye |first2=M.K. |title=Biochemical Changes in Micro-Fungi Fermented Cassava Flour Produced from Low- and Medium-Cyanide Variety of Cassava Tubers |journal=Nutrition and Health |volume=18 |issue=4 |date=2007 |issn=0260-1060 |doi=10.1177/026010600701800405 |pages=355–367|pmid=18087867 }}</ref> The reliance on cassava as a food source and the resulting exposure to the [[goitrogen]]ic effects of [[thiocyanate]] has been responsible for the endemic goiters seen in the [[Akoko]] area of southwestern Nigeria.<ref name="Akindahunsi-1998">{{cite journal |last1=Akindahunsi |first1=A. A. |last2=Grissom |first2=F. E. |last3=Adewusi |first3=S. R. |last4=Afolabi |first4=O. A. |last5=Torimiro |first5=S. E. |last6=Oke |first6=O. L. |title=Parameters of thyroid function in the endemic goitre of Akungba and Oke-Agbe villages of Akoko area of southwestern Nigeria |journal=African Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences |volume=27 |issue=3–4 |date=1998 |issn=0309-3913 |pmid=10497657 |pages=239–242}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bumoko |first1=G.M.-M. |last2=Sadiki |first2=N.H. |last3=Rwatambuga |first3=A. |last4=Kayembe |first4=K.P. |last5=Okitundu |first5=D.L. |last6=Mumba Ngoyi |first6=D. |last7=Muyembe |first7=J.-J.T. |last8=Banea |first8=J.-P. |last9=Boivin |first9=M.J. |last10=Tshala-Katumbay |first10=D. |title=Lower serum levels of selenium, copper, and zinc are related to neuromotor impairments in children with konzo |journal=Journal of the Neurological Sciences |volume=349 |issue=1–2 |date=2015 |pmid=25592410 |pmc=4323625 |doi=10.1016/j.jns.2015.01.007 |pages=149–153}}</ref>

<gallery class=center mode=nolines widths=180 heights=180><!--arrange images to stop'em running into next section-->
File:PeeledCassava.jpg|Tuberous root, peeled and soaking to reduce toxicity
File:Tipiti.jpg|Filling a sebucan or tipiti filter
</gallery>

[[Bioengineering]] has been applied to grow cassava with lower [[cyanogenic glycosides]] combined with [[food fortification|fortification]] of [[vitamin A]], [[iron]] and protein to improve the nutrition of people in sub-Saharan Africa.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sayre |first1=R. |last2=Beeching |first2=J. R. |last3=Cahoon |first3=E. B. |last4=Egesi |first4=C. |last5=Fauquet |first5=C. |last6=Fellman |first6=J. |last7=Fregene |first7=M. |last8=Gruissem |first8=W. |last9=Mallowa |first9=S. |last10=Manary |first10=M. |last11=Maziya-Dixon |first11=B. |year=2011 |title=The BioCassava Plus Program: Biofortification of Cassava for Sub-Saharan Africa |journal=[[Annual Review of Plant Biology]]|volume=62 |pages=251–272 |doi=10.1146/annurev-arplant-042110-103751 |pmid=21526968 |last12=Mbanaso |first12=A. |last13=Schachtman |first13=D. P. |last14=Siritunga |first14=D. |last15=Taylor |first15=N. |last16=Vanderschuren |first16=H. |last17=Zhang |first17=P.|issue=1 |bibcode=2011AnRPB..62..251S }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=2018 |title=BioCassava Plus |url=https://www.danforthcenter.org/scientists-research/research-institutes/institute-for-international-crop-improvement/crop-improvement-projects/biocassava-plus |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160327133605/http://www.danforthcenter.org/scientists-research/research-institutes/institute-for-international-crop-improvement/crop-improvement-projects/biocassava-plus |archive-date=27 March 2016 |access-date=23 March 2018 |publisher=Donald Danforth Plant Science Center |place=St. Louis, Missouri, USA}}</ref>

In Guyana the traditional [[cassareep]] is made from bitter cassava juice.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Aregheore, E. M. |author2=Agunbiade, O. O. |title=The toxic effects of cassava (manihot esculenta grantz) diets on humans: a review. |journal=Vet. Hum. Toxicol.|year=1991 |volume=33 |issue=3 |pages=274–275 |pmid=1650055 }}</ref> The juice is boiled until it is reduced by half in volume,<ref name="Jackson-1872">{{Cite journal |last=Jackson |first=J. R. |title=New Edibles |journal=Food Journal |volume=2 |year=1872 |page=372-378 [375] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R3kBAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA375 }}</ref> to the consistency of [[molasses]]<ref name="Nicholls-1906">{{Cite book |last=Nicholls |first=Henry Alfred Alford |title=A text-book of tropical agriculture |publisher=Macmillan |year=1906 |page=[https://archive.org/details/atextbooktropic00nichgoog/page/n308 278] |url=https://archive.org/details/atextbooktropic00nichgoog }}</ref> and flavored with [[spice]]s—including [[clove]]s, [[cinnamon]], [[salt]], [[sugar]], and [[cayenne pepper]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Harris |first=Dunstan A. |title=Island Cooking: Recipes from the Caribbean |publisher=Ten Speed Press |year=2003 |page=138 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qqK1EzO00oIC&pg=PA138 |isbn=978-1-58008-501-4}}</ref> Traditionally, cassareep was boiled in a soft pot, the actual "pepper pot", which would absorb the flavors and also impart them (even if dry) to foods such as rice and chicken cooked in it.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wood |first=John George |title=Man and his handiwork |publisher=Society for promoting Christian knowledge |year=1886 |pages=455–456 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mAUPAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA455 }}</ref> The poisonous but volatile hydrogen cyanide is evaporated by heating.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Meehans' monthly: a magazine of horticulture, botany and kindred subjects, Volumes 11-12 |publisher=Thomas Meehan & Sons |year=1901 |page=108 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nqnNAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA107 }}</ref> Nevertheless, improperly cooked cassava has been blamed for a number of deaths.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=White |first1=W. L. B. |author2=Arias-Garzon, D. I. |author3=McMahon, J. M. |author4=Sayre R. T. |title=Cyanogenesis in Cassava : The Role of Hydroxynitrile Lyase in Root Cyanide Production |journal=Plant Physiology |year=1998 |volume=116 |issue=4 |pmid=9536038 |pages=1219–1225 |pmc=35028 |doi=10.1104/pp.116.4.1219}}</ref> Amerindians from Guyana reportedly made an antidote by steeping [[chili pepper]]s in [[rum]].<ref name="Nicholls-1906"/> The natives of Guyana traditionally brought the product to town in bottles,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dalton |first=Henry G. |title=The History of British Guiana: Comprising a General Description of the Colony (1855) |publisher=Adamant Media Corporation (reprint) |year=2005 |page=185 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8nM8-MbduHgC&pg=PA184 |isbn=978-1-4021-8865-7}}</ref> and it is available on the [[United States|US market]] in bottled form.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Herbst |first=Sharon Tyler |title=The new food lover's companion: comprehensive definitions of nearly 6,000 food, drink, and culinary terms |publisher=Barron's Educational Series |year=2001 |page=[https://archive.org/details/newfoodloverscom00herb/page/105 105] |url=https://archive.org/details/newfoodloverscom00herb/page/105 |isbn=978-0-7641-1258-4 |url-access=registration }}</ref>