Matapi Cassava Strainer
Cassava, manioc, yuca— did you know that they are all the same thing? Now you do! Manihot esculenta is a tremendously important food plant in the tropics, providing nutrition for at least half a billion people in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Cassava is native to South America, where it was cultivated as early as 10,000 years ago. It spread throughout tropical America during the pre-Columbian period. The large carbohydrate-rich tubers grow rapidly, even in poor soils. But there's a catch... Cassava contains compounds which produce the highly toxic chemical hydrogen cyanide on contact with water. Therefore, the tubers require special processing to make them edible.
This type of woven strainer, called matapi in Guyana and tipití in Brazil, represents an early way of processing cassava. This technology is thought to have originated with the Lucayan (Taino) people of the Caribbean. It traveled to Brazil and Guyana, where it is still in use today. The long, hollow tube is hung from a beam or a tree branch by the looped handle at the top, and packed with grated cassava, which has been saturated with water. A pole is then passed through the loop at the bottom, and the strainer is twisted, like ringing out a towel. Water containing the toxic cyanide collects at the bottom.
But don't throw out that toxic cassava water just yet! It contains cassava starch, which is better known as — wait for it — tapioca! You have probably consumed tapioca many times without realizing where it came from. The little pearls in boba tea are tapioca, for example.
In Guyana, where this strainer is from, the reserved liquid is then further boiled down to produce cassareep, a thick, molasses-like condiment. Cassareep is used as a base for sauces, especially "Guyanese pepperpot" the popular national dish. It is also thought to be a preservative, capable of keeping food from spoiling and the absence of refrigeration.
This cassava strainer is in unused and excellent condition. A fascinating and thought-provoking object!
Cassava, manioc, yuca— did you know that they are all the same thing? Now you do! Manihot esculenta is a tremendously important food plant in the tropics, providing nutrition for at least half a billion people in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Cassava is native to South America, where it was cultivated as early as 10,000 years ago. It spread throughout tropical America during the pre-Columbian period. The large carbohydrate-rich tubers grow rapidly, even in poor soils. But there's a catch... Cassava contains compounds which produce the highly toxic chemical hydrogen cyanide on contact with water. Therefore, the tubers require special processing to make them edible.
This type of woven strainer, called matapi in Guyana and tipití in Brazil, represents an early way of processing cassava. This technology is thought to have originated with the Lucayan (Taino) people of the Caribbean. It traveled to Brazil and Guyana, where it is still in use today. The long, hollow tube is hung from a beam or a tree branch by the looped handle at the top, and packed with grated cassava, which has been saturated with water. A pole is then passed through the loop at the bottom, and the strainer is twisted, like ringing out a towel. Water containing the toxic cyanide collects at the bottom.
But don't throw out that toxic cassava water just yet! It contains cassava starch, which is better known as — wait for it — tapioca! You have probably consumed tapioca many times without realizing where it came from. The little pearls in boba tea are tapioca, for example.
In Guyana, where this strainer is from, the reserved liquid is then further boiled down to produce cassareep, a thick, molasses-like condiment. Cassareep is used as a base for sauces, especially "Guyanese pepperpot" the popular national dish. It is also thought to be a preservative, capable of keeping food from spoiling and the absence of refrigeration.
This cassava strainer is in unused and excellent condition. A fascinating and thought-provoking object!
Cassava, manioc, yuca— did you know that they are all the same thing? Now you do! Manihot esculenta is a tremendously important food plant in the tropics, providing nutrition for at least half a billion people in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Cassava is native to South America, where it was cultivated as early as 10,000 years ago. It spread throughout tropical America during the pre-Columbian period. The large carbohydrate-rich tubers grow rapidly, even in poor soils. But there's a catch... Cassava contains compounds which produce the highly toxic chemical hydrogen cyanide on contact with water. Therefore, the tubers require special processing to make them edible.
This type of woven strainer, called matapi in Guyana and tipití in Brazil, represents an early way of processing cassava. This technology is thought to have originated with the Lucayan (Taino) people of the Caribbean. It traveled to Brazil and Guyana, where it is still in use today. The long, hollow tube is hung from a beam or a tree branch by the looped handle at the top, and packed with grated cassava, which has been saturated with water. A pole is then passed through the loop at the bottom, and the strainer is twisted, like ringing out a towel. Water containing the toxic cyanide collects at the bottom.
But don't throw out that toxic cassava water just yet! It contains cassava starch, which is better known as — wait for it — tapioca! You have probably consumed tapioca many times without realizing where it came from. The little pearls in boba tea are tapioca, for example.
In Guyana, where this strainer is from, the reserved liquid is then further boiled down to produce cassareep, a thick, molasses-like condiment. Cassareep is used as a base for sauces, especially "Guyanese pepperpot" the popular national dish. It is also thought to be a preservative, capable of keeping food from spoiling and the absence of refrigeration.
This cassava strainer is in unused and excellent condition. A fascinating and thought-provoking object!