The Secret Power of Cassava Flour
If you’re cutting gluten out of your diet, cassava flour could be a perfect substitute. It can be used in breads, cakes, cookies, brownies, pancakes, pizza crusts or dough, crepes, burgers, sauces or gravy, and tempura batter. Cassava flour is made by grating and drying the cassava root (or yucca, depending where it comes from). Another popular item made from cassava is tapioca starch, which is only the extracted and bleached cassava starch. However, it is important to remember that although tapioca starch is gluten-free and grain-free, it does not contain the fiber from the cassava root. Below are several reasons why cassava is such a good substitute.
The first unique benefit of cassava flour is that it is easily substitutes, in 1:1 ratio, into recipes, in place of standard wheat flours, and even gluten-free flour blends. This is because cassava flour has a neutral flavor (similar to white potatoes) and smell, as opposed to the strong flavors of wheat and sprouted grains. It also has an almost undetectable fine texture, white color, and low fat content. If your recipe calls for a flour that rises well, use cassava to replace a part of flour in the recipe, unless you don’t mind a denser baked item. However, if no rising is needed, a complete substitution works perfectly.
A second benefit of cassava flour is that it can be consumed by people with allergies. It is not only gluten-free, but also grain free, nut free and Hypoallergenic. So, if you have issues with coconut flour or nut-based flours (almonds, etc), cassava is still an option for you, especially because some manufacturers sell gluten-free certified flour. Because of its high digestibility, cassava is vegan and paleo approved, consumable by people with sensitive digestive systems, such as IBS, and those following autoimmune protocol diet.
The third benefit we find is that cassava flour is lower in calories, fat, and sugar than many other options. For each quarter cup serving, cassava contains 114 calories, 2 grams of fiber, 23 grams of carbohydrates, a fat content of less than 1 gram, low sodium, 17 percent of daily vitamin C, and less than 1 gram of sugar. All these benefits make it an excellent choice for diabetics, vegans, those struggling with high blood pressure, or high cholesterol. If consumed with select ingredients, cassava will help maintain blood sugar, while providing reliable energy.
Similarly, although cassava provides a similar amount of carbohydrates as other flours, it is completely refined carbohydrate free. It is made up of 60 to 65 percent water moisture, 20 to 31 percent carbohydrates, and less than 2 percent protein and fat. Because cassava is high in carbohydrates, it provides a stable energy source, without needing to eat any other starches. In many parts of Africa, cassava provides up to 30 percent of daily calories! Often, they will eat it in the form of casabe, and also call it mani
1 cup of raw cassava contains about:
42.4 milligrams of vitamin C (71% DV)
0.8 milligram manganese (40% DV)
558 millingrams potassium (16% DV)
55.6 micrograms folate (14% DV)
0.2 milligram thiamine (12% DV)
43.3 milligrams magnesium (11% DV)
0.2 milligram copper (10% DV)
1.8 milligram niacin (9% DV)
0.2 milligram vitamin B6 (9% DV)
0.1 milligram riboflavin (6% DV)
55.6 milligrams phosphorus (6% DV)
3.9 micrograms vitamin K (5% DV)
0.7 milligram zinc (5% DV)
As mentioned above, cassava, and therefore bammy, is high in Vitamin C, a necessary antioxidant, helpful in eye and skin health, as well as preventing cancer. Even though some vitamin C is lost during manufacturing, cassava is still a better vitamin C source than potatoes, yams, wheat, brown rice, corn, and plantains. Despite the high levels of minerals, cassava is not high in fiber, protein, healthy fats, or essential vitamins. So, to get the most out of cassava, eat it with healthy, nutrient-dense foods that will compliment it.
Fourthly, cassava is very inexpensive, sustainable, and easy to grow. Cassava grows in over 90 countries and can survive high temperatures, solar radiation, and diverse environments, making it a valuable source of nutrition for more than 500 million people. It has been labeled extremely sustainable by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture in Columbia, because of its fine root system, long leaf life, strong root sink, and high leaf photosynthesis. Cassava can survive, and even thrive, in poor soil and droughts, and it requires little energy to produce a high volume of edible crop. Therefore, it is used to feed people in stressful areas and those vulnerable to famine, and the purchase of cassava also provides jobs to farmers in these same areas. Wherever it is grown, almost every part of the cassava plant is used, in addition to the root. For example, the leaves and stems of the cassava shrub can be made into soups, stews, and food for livestock. One dish, made from cassava, is called casabe in many Latin American countries, and bammy in most of the Caribbean islands. Similarly, the stems can be planted again to encourage mushroom growth, or turned into paper products and firewood.
Therefore, although there are many other gluten-free flour options, none compare to the amazing benefits and usability of cassava flour. As we talked about above, tapioca starch, one alternative, is only the starch from the cassava plant, and to make matters worse, it is also bleached. Meanwhile, although arrowroot is better than tapioca and more easily digested than cassava, when mixed with water, it creates a gel-like consistency, like cornstarch. Meanwhile, the worst alternative is all-purpose flour, the leading source of gluten in most diets. During processing, most natural vitamins have been removed from this flour and replaced with synthetic nutrients (“enriched”). These factors combine to become the biggest reasons to avoid this flour, because of its highly processed nature and harshness on the digestive system, because of gluten, a common allergen and inflammatory protein. Thus, when buying cassava flour, always check the label for “100 percent yucca (Cassava)”, to make sure there are no other ingredients, fillers, or preservatives added. Use cassava flour to bake your own gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan breads, or make your own bread from the cassava root itself. Jah Manna Traditional Bammys are made from 100% Gluten-Free Cassava Root.
