Yuca/Cassava Root

[Andy M.]

SO came back from her granddaughter's bridal shower in FL last week and was telling me about 'yucca' fries. I did some checking and discovered that 'YUCA' or cassava root is edible but yucca is not. It's an ornamental plant.

She ate at a restaurant that offered a choice of sides including "yucca fries". She liked them. They were crispy and tasty.

Does anyone have experience with this food as a french fry?

 

[FrankZ]

I did not like our experiments with them.

Your experiments may go better.

 

[jennyema]

I have not made them myself but yuca fries are one of my very favorite foods.

I haven’t made them because I don’t like to fry in the house. Maybe I’ll try them in my air fryer.

I have made mashed yuca a few times. It’s good but stringy.

Stop and Shop almost always carries yuca.

 

[Andy M.]

I did not like our experiments with them.

Your experiments may go better.

Frank, what have you tried?

 

[karadekoolaid]

Yuca, or cassava root, is a staple in Venezuelan cooking. There are two varieties: "sweet" and "bitter". "Sweet" yuca is bright white when cut; "bitter" yuca has pink tinges, This pink is cyanide, so don´t go near it!! "Bitter" yuca is also very hard to peel, whereas the other version peels easily. Always ask the vendor to cut the yuca before buying, although almost all providers will sell you "sweet" yuca. It´s only in the countryside where folks dig up "bitter" yuca and eat it, because they can´t tell the difference.
To make yuca chips/fries, you have to peel the yuca and boil it for about 30 minutes, until it´s soft. Remove from the pan and allow it to drain, then cut it into batons and deep-fry. It´s good; crispy, tasty ( with a bit of salt) and starchy. You can also use the raw vegetable: peel off the skin and peel long strips with a veg peeler, then deep-fry and drain. It´s sold here like potato chips/doritos/nachos here.
It´s not a particularly versatile vegetable: you might find it served as a side with meat/chicken dishes; you´ll definitely find it in the local "sancocho" - a simple stew made with meat/fish/chicken and abundant veg, or you might find it as yuca fries.

 

[FrankZ]

Frank, what have you tried?

Kathleen made fries... put it in something like it was potato as well. Just not happy with it, but you should try it.

 

[GilliAnne]

My husband and I had a taste of cassava in Mozambique, where it is widely available. It tasted quite nice. I've only seen it sold here as cassava chips.

Gillian