Cassava

*Manihot esculenta*

How to know it

A tall woody shrub with distinctive hand shaped leaves divided into narrow finger like lobes. The edible root is long and tapered with a brown papery skin and white flesh.

What it does

A staple starch across the tropics, grown for the root and eaten as tapioca and many regional dishes. It tolerates poor soil and drought better than almost any other staple, which is why it matters so much.

Safety

Raw cassava contains cyanogenic compounds and is genuinely dangerous. It must be peeled, soaked and thoroughly cooked before eating. Never taste it raw, and never let children handle preparation. Teach this plant to older children only, and teach the danger honestly rather than avoiding it.

Two things to do with children

Discuss why a community would keep growing a food that must be processed before it is safe. The answer, that it survives when other crops fail, is a real piece of food systems thinking.

Compare the leaf shape with other plants on site. The hand shape is unmistakable and makes a good identification exercise.