Yuca/Cassava/Manioc - A Collection of Recipes

There are many different names for the edible root of the woody shrub whose official name is Manihot esculenta. Yuca, cassava, manioc, tapioca, and mandioca are some of the Latin American names for this starchy root and its culinary byproducts that are used so creatively in South American cuisine. It’s especially popular in Brazil, where the root is ground, dried and roasted to make farofa, a key ingredient in the famous Brazilian dish feijoada, a pork and black bean stew. Other regions use a sweeter variety of yuca that can be mashed or fried. Cassava flour is often used in baking, as in the delicious Brazilian cheese rolls Pão de Queijo.

Yuca has a starchy and more fibrous texture than a potato, and one of the best ways to enjoy that starchiness is to fry it. Yuca fries, always cut into thick wedges, are crispy on the outside and soft but densely textured on the inside, and often take the place of french fries in South America.