Cassava

plants · food · tropical

Comes from South America. Cassava is native to Brazil, Paraguay, and the Andes mountains, but now grows in tropical and subtropical regions all over the globe.

Starchy underground root. People eat cassava for its thick, underground root packed with starch, which is kind of like how potatoes store energy underground.

Becomes tapioca. When cassava roots are processed and dried, they turn into tapioca, a starchy powder used in cooking, animal feed, and even factory products.

Eaten many ways. Cassava is most commonly boiled and eaten as a side dish, but it's also ground into flour called farofa in Brazil and garri in West Africa.

Keeps growing back. Although cassava is a perennial plant that can live for years, farmers usually harvest it as an annual crop for the biggest, best roots.