There are two kinds of cassava; the bitter and the sweet. Bitter cassava are used as source of flour that are use to make tapioca, bread, cakes and pasta. It is also the source of ethanol for fuel and animal feeds. It has some medicinal uses too.
Cassava is the third largest source of carbohydrates for human food in the world. This article will focus on the culinary uses of sweet cassava. Especially now that the price of rice had gone so high and some countries are experiencing rice crisis, like the Philippines. Cassava is the best alternative. Cassava is much cheaper than rice and can be prepared in several ways as a food.
Cassava Cake
Grated cassava are mixed with condensed milk, evaporated milk, coconut milk, sugar, eggs and grated coconut and then baked for about 25 minutes. Toppings are added consist of egg yolks, condensed milk, coconut milk and coconut cream and then baked again for another 25 minutes. This is a Filipino favorite desert.
Cassava Bibingka
It is cook by mixing the eggs, sugar, evaporated milk, grated cassava, butter then pour into a greased pan lined with banana leaves or cookie sheet. Coconut milk with flour and condensed milk are then added. Followed by egg yolks pour over baked bibingka and sprinkled with grated cheese and broil till golden brown.
Cassava Pudding
Packets of cassava is mixed with evaporated milk, sweetened young string coconut, condensed milk, and butter and baked for an hour.
Cassava Chips
Cassava chips are prepared by slicing thinly the cassava in uniform manner and deep fried and then soaked into a mixture of water and sugar, drained and fried again. There you have it, fresh and nutritious cassava chips.
Sweetened Cassava (Minatamis na Kamoteng Kahoy)
Sweetened cassava is so easy to prepare. Peel and slice the cassava according to your style, caramelized sugar in the pan then pour sliced cassava and wait until all liquid evaporated. It's done, so easy.
Boiled Cassava
Simply peel the cassava and cut them according to your desired size and boil it and serve it with your favorite dish or dishes. It can also serve as a snack by dipping it in sugar.
Fried Grated Cassava
This is one of the easiest and affordable ways of cooking cassava. Peel and grate the cassava add sugar and mix well. Pour some cooking oil in the pan, put one cup of grated cassava and flattened it after a few minutes turn the other side until golden brown.
Cassava Balls (Bola-Bolang Kamoteng Kahoy)
Just mix grated cassava, salt, flour, chopped spring onions and dice carrots (optional) and deep fry. Serve with sauce, it's done.
Mashed Cassava (Nilupak Na Kamoteng Kahoy)
The cassava are peeled, boiled and mashed by using a large mortar and pestle. Sugar, grated coconut, vanilla and butter or margarine is added while they're pounding the cassava. This way of preparing this native delicacy is rarely seen now because it has been replaced by modern equipment.
Due to the shortage (artificial) of rice in the Philippines, some families are cooking rice by adding cassava, 50 percent rice and 50 percent cassava. In other regions, they cook mixture of rice and corn.
