Naturevibe Botanicals Cassava Flour, 2lbs | Used for Cooking | slightly nutty earthy taste (32 ounces) [Packaging may vary]

Cassava is the third-largest source of food carbohydrates in the tropics, after rice and maize. Cassava is a major staple food in the developing world, providing a basic diet for over half a billion people. It is one of the most drought-tolerant crops, capable of growing on marginal soils.

Nigeria is the worlds largest producer of cassava Cassava flour and tapioca flour are sometimes used interchangeably, however, theyre not the same. Cassava is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates. Though it is often called yuca in Spanish America and in the United States, it is not related to yucca, a shrub in the family Asparagaceae.

It is classified as either sweet or bitter. Like other roots and tubers, both bitter and sweet varieties of cassava contain antinutritional factors, with the bitter varieties containing much larger amounts. Cassava plays a particularly important role in agriculture in developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, because it does well on poor soils and with low rainfall, and because it is a perennial that can be harvested as required.

This is the Holy Grail characteristic of cassava flour. Unlike other gluten-free flours such as almond or coconut flour, cassava flour is very mild and neutral in flavor. Its also not grainy or gritty in texture - rather, its soft and powdery.

The most commonly consumed part of cassava is the root, which is very versatile. It can be eaten whole, grated or ground into flour to make bread and crackers.. Cassava is a tropical plant that bears an energy-packed, tuberous root that’s rich in carbohydrates and is used in both sweet and savory dishes.

The root is a staple food item in many South American and African countries, and is often referred to as yuca or manioc. While cassava flour contains the fiber from the root that makes it ideal for preparing more structured dishes. The cassava tuber is dried and ground to produce cassava flour.

Finely ground, the flour has a very smooth, almost powdery, consistency that’s ideal for baking traditionally more dense, such as brownies or cookies. The root is mildly flavored with a faint nutty taste-however, it tends to have a more neutral flavor compared to other alternative flours like almond flour or coconut flour. It is also one of the few gluten-free flours that has a near 1:1 substitution ratio with all-purpose wheat flour in most baked good recipes that do not require significant rising.

Being that cassava flour does not rise well when mixed with yeast (because of its lack of gluten), it is not the best substitute when it comes to yeasted baked goods.