What do bubble tea and our cassava strips have in common? One incredible root: cassava. As versatile as it is delicious, this powerhouse plant just might surprise you. We’ve already dug into the story of plantains, so now we’re getting to the root of cassava — spotlighting how it’s used, why it matters, and why we love it.
What Exactly Is Cassava?
Botanically speaking, the cassava (Manihot esculenta) plant is a woody shrub with edible tuber roots. This unique starchy vegetable is similar to white potatoes, although not in the nightshade family.
Nutritionally speaking, cassava is also more calorie- and carbohydrate-dense than white potatoes and features a much more fibrous and starchy flesh. It’s a resistant starch high in fiber, vitamin C, and potassium, with a long list of transformative capabilities.
From Root to Harvest
The cassava plant typically grows as a shorter shrub, although it can reach small tree-like heights, with thin branches and leaf sets of 3-9 long leaves. The real excitement happens underground, where the cassava root grows in clusters that are unearthed and harvested, usually within 9-12 months after planting. There are thousands of cassava plant varieties, falling into one of two categories: bitter or sweet. The sweet varieties are the ones most often used for human consumption.
The outer peel of the cassava tuber is tough and woody, resembling thin tree bark, while the inner flesh is white and fibrous. These tubers are naturally cyanogenic (contain cyanide) and therefore must be properly prepared (via soaking, fermenting, or cooking) before consumption. Cassava spoils quickly after harvest, so it’s ideally processed within 48 hours. When sold fresh abroad, roots are often coated in wax to extend shelf life.
Roots with History
Native to the Amazon, cassava made its way to the African continent in the 16th century via Portuguese traders, quickly becoming a carbohydrate-rich staple for millions. It thrives in tropical and subtropical climates, yet is hardy enough to withstand drought and poor soil quality, making it an ideal crop in tough conditions. Cassava also lends itself to a flexible harvesting time and is more resistant to disease than many other staples.
Today, it’s widely grown across South America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. More than 800 million people worldwide rely on it as a dietary staple, with Nigeria leading global production. In South America, Colombia ranks as the fourth largest producer.
Cassava is known by many names — yuca in Latin America, manioc in French, mandioca in Portuguese, kappa in India, muhogo in Africa. These are just a few of cassava’s many monikers, each name reflecting its deep cultural roots and global significance.
Culinary Powerhouse
Thanks to its abundance of starchiness, cassava uniquely lends itself to many culinary forms and preparations, from whole root dishes, to refined flour and starch for baking, to sweeteners.
Because cassava is naturally gluten-free, both its flour and extracted starch (tapioca) have become staples in gluten-free baking and snacks. Cassava flour uses the whole dried root and behaves much like wheat flour, while tapioca is the pure refined starch. To make tapioca, the root is grated into a pulp, mixed with water, then spun to separate the starch from the fibers. The liquid starch is dried and formed into flakes, pearls, or ground into tapioca powder.
Cassava is a true culinary powerhouse. Wherever it grows, you’ll find it woven into traditional dishes that reflect local culture and creativity.
Cassava in the Kitchen: A Global Favorite
(You might want to grab a bag of our cassava strips to munch on for this next mouthwatering bit!)
In South America, cassava takes many forms — from crispy yuca frita (cassava fries) and flatbreads like casabe, to Brazil’s buttery farofa and Colombia’s sweet coconut cake, enyucado. Across West and Central Africa, cassava is transformed into staples like fufu, a fermented porridge, or chikwangue, dough wrapped in leaves and boiled. In Asia, it often leans sweet, appearing in tapioca pudding or as the chewy pearls in bubble (boba) tea.
Even its protein-rich leaves are celebrated, cooked into stews, fermented, and used in traditional medicine.
These are just a tiny sampling of the myriad dishes and drinks featuring cassava. From crispy fries to chewy pearls, cassava’s versatility makes it a cultural cornerstone and a global comfort food.
Beyond the Kitchen: Cassava’s Other Superpowers
Cassava’s superpowers extend far beyond the table. Its starch-rich roots and peels fuel a surprising range of uses — from animal feed and biofuel to textiles, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.
One of the most exciting frontiers? Bioplastics. Thanks to its high starch content, cassava can be turned into biodegradable plastics, offering a renewable alternative to petroleum-based packaging. Though still developing, researchers (including pioneering teams in Colombia) are working to bring cassava-based plastics to a larger scale — a promising step toward a more sustainable, circular economy.
Yet another reason to love cassava.
Why Cassava Matters (And Why We Love It)
Cassava is more than a delicious crunchy snack — it’s a testament to both plant and human ingenuity. It nourishes, adapts, and inspires innovation from food to bioplastics, while remaining resilient, versatile, and sustainable.
For us at Artisan Tropic, cassava isn’t just a root — it’s the heart of our strips and the story of cultures worldwide. Every time you enjoy our cassava strips, you’re tasting a small piece of that story. Grown sustainably in Colombia, we partner with farms following regenerative and biodiverse practices, ensuring each strip is as nourishing for the planet as it is for you. Cassava embodies a global story of resilience, versatility, creativity, and promising innovation – and we’re proud to honor that legacy with every crunchy, flavorful strip.
This blog post was written by Ashley Castle
Sources:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0065211319300926
https://www.sei.org/features/cassava-colombias-hidden-treasure-on-the-path-to-bioplastic-revolution/
https://xtremereturns.com/the-use-of-cassava-for-eco-friendly-and-sustainable-packaging/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0926669024004047?via%3Dihub
