Mandioca or Cassava?
The Recipe for Forofa and other Culinary Uses
Widely referred to as cassava it's known as mandioca, aipim, or macuxeira throughout Brazil. Where does the word Mandioca come from?
The origin of the name mandioca is mysticized in Amazonian culture.
One day a young toddler named Mandi fell ill in a remote part of the Amazon. She had been sick for weeks when word came of a wonderous plant that might just be her saviour. Her parents set off and procured the wonderous herb. On their return Mandi ate the plant and soon after recovered from her debilitating illness. Everything seemed okay, until 3 years later when Mandi died quite suddenly and mysteriously, as she had shown no previous signs of illness. Her mother prayed for her lost child, and shortly thereafter a tuber grew from the very spot Mandi was buried. The roots in the shape of a horn, a chifre, or aca. Hence the name mandi-oca.
Today mandioca is widely consumed throughout Latin American, Africa, and parts of South East Asia . Mainly due to its high resistance to drought and pests, ease of cultivation and storage, high calorific value and versatility.
It can be eaten by boiling, frying and roasting.
But it's most commonly used as a flour (farinha de mandioca), pre-cooked flour (farinha de mesa), as a thickener for soups and sauces (arrowroot), and as a fermented starch called povilho which is used in the baking of the popular Brazilian snack of pao de queijo. The juice (tucupi) is boiled and used as a base flavour for soups.
Although mandioca has perhaps the highest starch content of any tuber, and consequently a high calorific and energy value, it doesn't have many other nutritional benefits, and should be consumed moderately as part of a balanced diet. Perhaps it's biggest plus is that it's gluten free, and easily digested.
So, how can you use it at home. Well, as a thickener in the form of arrowroot. Or as a pudding in the fermented form of tapioca, are two ways. You can also make biscults and cakes with the flour. In reality there are a many ways to use mandioca, forofa being the most popular.
Forofa adds texture to a dish. It's also flavorful when you add your favorite herbs and spices. In Brazil it is served with almost every meal.
Recipe for forafa
Ingredients
- 300 grams of farinha de mandioca.
- 50 grams of butter.
- 1 onion finely chopped.
- 3 garlic segments, finely chopped.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Method
- Heat a frypan over a moderate flame.
- Add the butter, garlic, and onions.
- Sweat for 3 minutes until tender.
- Add the Mandioc flour.
- Stir for 8 to 10 minutes, and remove from the heat.
- Add the watercress, and cook for 3 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper.
Variations
- Boil some pumpkin until tender, mash, and add.
- Cheiro Verde, spring onions, cilantro, and parsley stirred in off the heat.
- Fresh basil, and diced tomatoes.
- Bacon.
- Add fresh chopped black olives.
Really, you can add whatever you like to make a forafo. We experimented with some peppery watercress.
Forafo goes especially well with meat, chicken, and and a Brazilan bean casserole.
Mandioca is versatile, and gluten free. It adds texture, flavour, and variety to your cooking. Pop some into your trolley next time you go shopping.
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