Jack of all trades, master of none. This is usually attributed to a person known to be involved in many things without having a speciality in any of them. Similarly, you can attribute it to something possessing a foray of abilities without having a particular one that makes it stand out. However, this allegation cannot be labelled as the cassava tuber. Indeed, its capabilities and usefulness are limited by the people who have it in their hands. It is a crop like no other, a master like no other. Here is the Multi-Purpose Crop “Cassava”.
- Food for a million generations. When the tropical people of yesteryears sought something that would kill their hunger, they found unparalleled solace from the roots of the cassava plant. The tuber provided nourishment as its rich carbohydrate content also discharged a kind of energy only a few other foods could match. Its consumption has grown ever since, with varying recipes springing up by each passing second. It can serve as anappetiser, a main meal, a dessert. Thus, you could decide to have a full course dinner exclusively with cassava as its main ingredient.
- A healer like no other. Aside from giving satisfaction to empty stomachs, cassava also served medicinal purposes to treat household wounds and illnesses. These included the control of bleeding, scabies, diarrhoea and dysentery. They were usually cooked or taken through conditioning due to how toxic raw cassava is to humans. Today, pharmaceutical companies use cassava as excipients when producing tablets and pills. In tablets, excipients act as fillers, glidants, thickeners, binders, disintegrants, and water retention agents. In a study that compared cassava’s potency as an excipient to that of corn in a study, it was revealed that tablets with cassava broke down faster than that of corn.
- The processor’s jewel. While others may have a glow in their eyes at the sight of some of the most precious stones like gold and diamond, cassava is a comparable jewel in the eyes of a processor who knows its worth. That is because of the sheer number of ways cassava allows itself to be processed and moulded to serve the ever-dynamic needs of society. In the olden days, gari was a sure way to process and preserve the tuber to ensure that it lasted for weeks and months. In our era, technology has provided that the consumer is spoilt for choice. From chips to flour to ethanol, anyone interested in venturing into agriculture can earn millions in a matter of months. Its year-round harvesting also means that you would not have to wait for a particular season before you can start processing your produce.
- The brewer’s companion. Drinks are part of every occasion, from highly ecstatic to lowly melancholic ones. They serve as an interlude between speech moments and expressions of varying emotions. As such, they have been a crucial element for years in the life of any civilisation. In its continuous ingenuity, cassava provides the brewer with the opportunity to carry that sacred privilege of being the source of the relief that people have with every gulp of the drink in their hand. Whether purely virgin or with a touch of alcohol, cassava rarely fails to deliver quality unto tastes buds. Anyone in doubt has either never tasted a cup of cassava beverage or probably had it done by the wrong brewer. For the crème of crème in brewing, cassava is a dependable ingredient.
The list of abilities cassava possesses, particularly when it involves processing, is as endless as the beautiful blue sea. Hence, when the opportunity arises for a potential investment in the processing of cassava, do well to partake with both hands. That is because the rewards and the satisfaction it brings can last even for a lifetime. It is, after all, a tuber of all trades and a master of all.
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