Cyanide

However, cassava has its problems. It is full of carbohydrate but nothing much else. Since it contains very little protein, people need to eat something in addition to it to ensure they get a balance of protein, vitamins and minerals. On digestion, cyanogenic glucosides present in the root are broken down and cyanide can be released into the body. These have therefore to be removed before cassava can be eaten. This can be done in a variety of ways but is often done by washing the cassava in clean water - if there's any available - or by fermenting it. Another problem with cassava is that it suffers from postharvest physiological deterioration. Although it can remain in the ground for many months, once it is harvested it deteriorated rapidly. Within 48 hours it is unmarketable. What makes cassava different from other carbohydrate/protein combination starches is the presence of the poison hydrocyanide (HCN) bound with glucose sugar. The cyanide is non-toxic until a special enzyme breaks this bond (beta-glucosidase, or beta glucoronidase).

Offered by Mike.

I have never heard anybody got sick nor get food poisoning from eating cassava, I have eaten this cassava since child hood, and after peeling the cassava usually we rinse them because our hand were full of dirt from the cassava skin but we never wash them nor dipped them in water, there is no need for it. In the old country the cassava farmer stick the fresh cassava stem up-side down around the perimeter of the cassava field to protect the rest of the field from wild boar or any other animal, it seems, this up-side down cassava plant is more toxic, and hence the wild boar eat this first row of cassava they will get very sick and will never come back again, and of course this up-side down cassava will be never sold to the market. Fermented cassava is a delicacy for me and cassava cake is just a big treat. Since this cassava plant is a tropical plant, you have to grow them in doors if you live in the colder climate countries, you might be able to grow them out doors during the summer months, the problem is for us here in North America where can we get that fresh stem with a few nodes on it. A colleague at work mentioned they might have it in the Southern US like Louisiana?, I do not know, does anybody know, anybody in Lousiana?

Offered by Tian.