NUTRITIONS OF CASSAVA IN IGBO AND YORUBA LAND

CASSAVA PRODUCTS, THE WIDEST FORMS OF MEAL AMONG THE IGBO PEOPLE OF THE SOUTH EAST, NIGERIA.

THE CASSAVA BY-PRODUCTS FOR MEALS ICLUDE TAPIOCA, CASSAVA GRANULES, CASSAVA FLOUR MEAL, (AREBO), AND CASSAVA FOOFOO.


Do you know that cassava is the most widely used product for meals among the Igbo and Yoruba of the Eastern and Western Nigeria respectively. Among the Igbo people, cassava tubers are processed to produce the forms of food items called tapioca, cassava granules, flour mills (arebo), and foofoo.


Tapioca.
Both the fresh and dried tapioca are edible, how?

Preparation
Stage i of no. 1
From the farm, uproot the tuber and cut it to small sizes. You can choose to remove the outer covering of the cassava root before or after cooking. After this has been peeled off, (that is after or before cooking), cut the main cassava tuber into small pieces before cooking. The slices should as much as possible be smaller than the peel off from oranges. Since there is no mechanized equipment used for this peeling, the kitchen knife is the most common equipment for it.

Stage ii of no. 1.
After the peeling, the cassava (which has now been cooked and peeled) is soaked overnight with normal water. This soaking is necessary, and indeed a must so as to remove the toxic element in the tapioca. After the soaking for about eighteen hours or overnight, tapioca is washed in fresh water for about two or three times. After that, the cassava is ready to be eaten as fresh tapioca. Note that this soaking in water and washing is necessary so as to rid the processing tapioca of the toxic element (oxyacetalene), in the cassava.


Stage iii of no.1
This stage is the stage of the ready tapioca.
Tapioca: fresh tapioca is now ready and edible. How?

Serving
it can be eaten raw and as much as one wants.
It can be eaten with coconut seed, or palm kernel nut.

nutrition. Fermented cassava in the form of tapioca gives joy in eating. It contains no sugar; it contains very low percentage of carbohydrates, and cools the temperature of the body, especially when eaten in hot weather. As food item, it is medically balanced and helps to regulate the body temperature and keeps the general body metabolism stable.

2. tapioca diet.
Dehydrated (dried) tapioca.
The preparation takes from the fresh tapioca. Dried (cassava) tapioca is got when, instead of eating the tapioca fresh, it is spread on the surface of the sun with the aid of a basket or a basket-like material so that the water in the fresh tapioca would dry with the help of the heat from the sun. This takes some hours to dry. However, the degree of dryness depends on the choice of the person processing it. If this is meant to be stored for months, or even for years, it must be left to dry well.

Although one can chew the dried tapioca like that, but one can also choose to soak it in water between two and ten minuits depending on how dry it is. After the soaking, one can use palm kernel nut or coconut to eat it. This is one of the best ways of getting cassava to have a very low quantity of carbohydrates. Besides, it contains no sugar, but gives satisfaction. It enhances the osmo regulation of the body. Above all, it can be chewed as a stimulant and ready food.


THE JOLOF TAPIOCA.

The same processed, (preferably dried) tapioca is used in preparing this meal.
Preparation.
- boil enough quantity of water.
- Put the required quantity of tapioca into a basin or bowl and pour the boiled quantity of water onto it and sieve out the water after about ten minuits. Allow the excess water to drip out of the sieve with the help of a sieving equipment.

Preparation of the sauce for the jolof.
Here, it is necessary to mention that the quantity of items to be used should depend on the quantity of the tapioca and the constitution of the cook and the history of the diet requirements of those to whom the meal is meant for.

Requirements
- Get some quantity of palm oil and allow to melt over the fire in a container.
- Grind some quantity of crayfish and some quantity of salt and pepper, and a little grain (or quantity) of potash. After the blending, put a small quantity of fermented castor oil butter in the preparation, blend the mixture until it is well blended. Next, pour a small quantity of the melted oil in the preparation and stir well. The sauce may be too concentrated that it may not hold the tapioca well. Because of that, pour a little quantity of hot water and turn well and continue to check the preparation until one’s taste proves the preparation satisfactory. Note that no cooking of this meal is necessary, although one can make the preparation in a cooking pot and allow the preparation to take place on the fire for just few minuets. Again one should make sure that the preparation does not contain water, even up to a drop in the preparation pot. When all this have taken place, then jolof tapioca is prepared.

Meanwhile, there are people who like to add, as a matter of choice, one or more of things like ungrounded crayfish, sliced garden egg leaves, ụtazị, even garden egg, cut into small pieces to balance the diet more, or to enhance nutrition and taste.

Jolof tapioca is a very popular diet for the average igbo, of past, present and everywhere even where you are, if there are a number of Igbo people there. It is easily seen being prepared and sold in rest houses, in hotels, and by hawkers. And it is enough and easy meal for every family. This is the most globally eaten Igbo meal of especially the Igbo people.

Serving
Tapioca meal in its full ideal, is naturally eaten with enough drinking water on the table. But as a leisure meal or even as dessert as some people take it for, it is best eaten with local wine; that is palm wine or raffia wine, though other types of drink can at the end of the meal be manageable, where palm wine or raffia wine is not possible.

This meal can be eaten by the day time, though it is relatively good and causes no upsets in people even when eaten at odd times and at night. This is the best form of meal I have come across in life.

Nutrition.
Jolof tapioca builds energy. And because it was fermented and dried, it is very low in carbohydrates. It is very delicious, very easy and very cheap to prepare. The average time for the preparation is between ten and fifteen minuets. It doesn’t abuse the eater. Why not reach out to any Igbo and know more about jolof tapioca. Enjoy your meal!

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