Harlan Messinger wrote:
>
> I'm confused. In the past, I've read that yuca (cassava, manioc)
> contains toxins that need to be removed before the tuber can be eaten.
> Recently I've been testing some yuca-based recipes, and the first
> several I tried involved grating or pulverizing them and letting them
> drain. But other recipes involve no draining at all. I've followed one
> of them, with no ill effects. And then it occurred to me: what about
> when yuca is served in chunks in restaurants? If toxins need to be
> drained, how would they even do that? Maybe the toxins are really a
> non-concern. Can any of you enlighten me?
>
> --
> Harlan Messinger
> Remove the first dot from my e-mail address.
> Veuillez ๔ter le premier point de mon adresse de courriel.
Yuca is a staple in the Caribbean. I have never heard of a single case of
poisoning from it. I believe most of the poison compounds are in the skin and
the pink layer just under the skin which are removed before cooking.
It does have some cyanide compounds but so do may other plants. For example,
peach pits contain some amounts of cyanide compounds. So do apricot pits.
http://ace.orst.edu/info/extoxnet/faqs/natural/ex3.htm
http://www.beyondveg.com/tu-j-l/raw-...ooked-1g.shtml