I ate at a restaurant recently whose on-line menu stated
they had deep-fried "yuca". I take this to be the Spanish
word for manioc root.

On arriving at the restaurant, the menu referred to deep-fried
"yucca", the familiar cactus-like plant from the southwest
and Mexico. Helen Russell in _Foraging for Dinner_ writes
about eating the flowers of the yucca plant, but not the
roots.

In any case, what I was served was deep-fried roots of some
sort, I am guessing manioc but maybe yucca roots -- are they
edible?

These aren't be any chance the same plant as each other?
I'm pretty sure not.

Steve

Steve Pope wrote:
> I ate at a restaurant recently whose on-line menu stated
> they had deep-fried "yuca". I take this to be the Spanish
> word for manioc root.
>
> On arriving at the restaurant, the menu referred to deep-fried
> "yucca", the familiar cactus-like plant from the southwest
> and Mexico. Helen Russell in _Foraging for Dinner_ writes
> about eating the flowers of the yucca plant, but not the
> roots.
>
> In any case, what I was served was deep-fried roots of some
> sort, I am guessing manioc but maybe yucca roots -- are they
> edible?
>
> These aren't be any chance the same plant as each other?
> I'm pretty sure not.
>
> Steve

Did you enjoy it? What did it taste like?

dee > wrote:

>Did you enjoy it? What did it taste like?

Yes, it was very good. A mild-flavored, reasonably tender,
slightly vegetal and nutty tasting root. They did a
good job of deep-frying it too.

I haven't had manioc enough times to say for sure that
it is the same item.

Steve

Steve wrote:

> I ate at a restaurant recently whose on-line menu stated
> they had deep-fried "yuca". I take this to be the Spanish
> word for manioc root.
>
> On arriving at the restaurant, the menu referred to deep-fried
> "yucca", the familiar cactus-like plant from the southwest
> and Mexico. Helen Russell in _Foraging for Dinner_ writes
> about eating the flowers of the yucca plant, but not the
> roots.
>
> In any case, what I was served was deep-fried roots of some
> sort, I am guessing manioc but maybe yucca roots -- are they
> edible?
>
> These aren't be any chance the same plant as each other?
> I'm pretty sure not.


Well...it COULD be the same plant, but probably not. There are lots of
plants called "yucca," and some of them have edible roots. See
http://www.anapsid.org/resources/yucca.html for more information.

By the way, the article uses the term "prussic acid." In case you weren't
aware, that's a solution of hydrogen cyanide and water.

Bob

Steve Pope wrote:
> I ate at a restaurant recently whose on-line menu stated
> they had deep-fried "yuca". I take this to be the Spanish
> word for manioc root.
>
> On arriving at the restaurant, the menu referred to deep-fried
> "yucca", the familiar cactus-like plant from the southwest
> and Mexico. Helen Russell in _Foraging for Dinner_ writes
> about eating the flowers of the yucca plant, but not the
> roots.
>
> In any case, what I was served was deep-fried roots of some
> sort, I am guessing manioc but maybe yucca roots -- are they
> edible?
>
> These aren't be any chance the same plant as each other?
> I'm pretty sure not.
>
They are not the same plant, and what you had was yuca, which as you
say is manioc root. In Costa Rica you see it pretty often, think of it
as basically a french fries substitute. -aem

"aem" Wrote
>>
> They are not the same plant, and what you had was yuca, which as you
> say is manioc root. In Costa Rica you see it pretty often, think of it
> as basically a french fries substitute. -aem



Thats right,
I ate it often in Barzil, years ago, where it's called "manteca de terra"
or - butter of the earth. Just boiled or steamed it IS incredibly buttery,
delicious an low fat!.

Richard.

aem > wrote:

>Steve Pope wrote:

>> In any case, what I was served was deep-fried roots of some
>> sort, I am guessing manioc but maybe yucca roots -- are they
>> edible?

>They are not the same plant, and what you had was yuca, which as you
>say is manioc root. In Costa Rica you see it pretty often, think of it
>as basically a french fries substitute. -aem

Thanks. This was a Peruvian restaurant, so it's got to be
yuca. Someone probably "corrected" the spelling on the menu.

Steve