Cassava is a tuber found in different continents of the world such as Africa, Oceania and mainly in America, so it has different names around the world such as “Mandioca”, “Aipim”, “Guacamota”, “Casava” or “Lumu”. It is a food rich in starch and with a high nutritional value. In Venezuela, it is used to make various recipes and as an accompaniment to some foods such as meat, chicken, or soup, but let’s talk about some of the recipes.
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The “Casabe”.
What is the “casabe”?
It is a very thin and crunchy cake that is mainly composed of yucca, this is made on a large circular plate that is traditionally called “Budare”. The “casabe” can be consumed in different ways, since it is generally used as an accompaniment to soups, grills, “paellas”, ceviches, with ham and cheese, and many other foods. It usually substitutes bread when people want to diet since it does not contain as many calories as bread.
How is “casabe” prepared?
The ingredients we will need are the following:
- Yucca
- Salt
To begin we must peel and wash the yucca very well, after it is clean we will grate it and add a little salt, then we will drain very well all the water that comes out with the help of a strainer, in this step we will press the yucca with the help of water instrument to get the most amount of water since the juice that is taken out is poisonous.
Then we will place in a “budare” the mixture of yucca and we will spread it all over the surface with a spatula until it is about 3 millimeters thick, we will leave it on the fire until it hardens, we will turn it over until the two parts are golden brown, finally, we will put the cake in the sun to dry well and not run the risk of creating mold and it is ready to be tasted.
Now let’s move on to a sweet that is made from the “casabe” which is called “naiboa”.
“Naiboa”.
What is the “naiboa”?
This is two slices of “casabe”, joined by “papelón” in the middle. It is very common to find it in the stalls of street vendors on the highways in the interior of the country. They are usually bought as a dessert when they arrive at their destination or kept for home consumption.
How is “naiboas” prepared?
The preparation of the classic “naiboas” only requires “casabe” and “papelón”, so we simply fill a slice of “casabe” with the melted “papelón” and then place the other one on top. Sometimes grated white cheese, anise seeds, coconut, or brown sugar are added, but this varies according to the region of the country where it is purchased.
Leaving aside the “casabe”, let’s talk about another recipe with yucca.
“Buñuelos de yuca”
What are “buñuelos de yuca”?
These are a combination of yucca and cheese that are fried to create a delicious dessert that is usually enjoyed at Easter. They are usually served as a mid-afternoon snack, accompanied by a cup of coffee with milk.
How are “buñuelos de yuca” prepared?
The ingredients we will need are:
- Yucca that is peeled, cooked, and deveined.
- Hard white cheese.
- Egg
- Wheat flour.
- Pinch of salt.
- Oil
- Papelón”.
- Water
- Cloves
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To begin the preparation, we must place in a food processor the yucca, the cheese, the egg, the flour, and the salt. This should be processed until everything is well incorporated and you have a homogeneous mass.
In a deep pot, we must add the oil over medium heat and let it heat until it reaches a temperature of 350ºF. Moisten your hands with a little oil and form small balls of the same size as the yucca dough. Now fry the fritters 4 at a time until golden brown. Carefully remove and place on kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil.
To serve them hot and bathed with melado de papelón, they are ready to enjoy with a coffee with milk.
Let us know which of these you would like to try.