Cassava is a drought-tolerant root vegetable native to Africa, South America.
Tapioca is made from extracting just the starch from cassava. Cassava flour, on the other hand, contains the whole root peeled, dried and ground (leaving it higher in fiber and other nutrients).
As a tuber cassava is naturally gluten free, grain and nut free, vegan, vegetarian and paleo, making it an excellent replacement for wheat or nut flour in many diets. However, it is relatively high in calories and carbohydrates per serving, so it should still be consumed in moderation.
Half a billion people in Africa eat cassava every day, and this high-starch root is also an important staple in Latin America and the Caribbean. We focuse strongly on this crop, cassava serves as a source of food and livestock feed, while also providing raw material for the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, industrial starch, biofuels, and other products. As a result, cassava is important not only for rural households but for national economies.
