One form of food that is eaten all over the world is bread. You may not always recognize it as such, but whether it's the pitas of the Mediterranean region, the naan of India or the tortillas of Latin America, it's still bread, one of the most versatile foods there is. Next time you want to prepare a simple yet exotic meal, add some cassava bread for a Caribbean touch.
The main reason why people in the Caribbean eat 'pan de casabe' is because they've been doing so for centuries. It's made of the root of the cassava plant, which is native to the region as well as to parts of South America. The root is brown in color and has a long, thin shape. Remove the skin, however, and you'll find a starchy flesh inside, which is a light yellow or white in color.
When the first European explorers came to the Caribbean, they found that people all over the region and as far away as Central and South America were eating 'pan de casabe' as a staple food. They took this foodstuff with them to the Iberian Peninsula and from there it spread across the world along with other New World foods like potatoes, tomatoes and corn. Today the root is a staple in regions like West Africa too.
There are many ways to eat 'pan de casabe'. Some people go all out and cover it with cheese to make a pizza with a Caribbean flavor. It's great to use as croutons to give substance to soups or crunch to salads and it goes very well with dips too. More traditional is to top it with eggs, avocado or beans and eat it like you would eat tortillas. You can also keep it simple by adding only a little bit of salt and a dash of olive oil.
Like most starches, the root is a great source of energy-giving carbohydrates. It's a healthy choice too because it contains only small amounts of fat and sodium. At the same time it's rich in Vitamin C as well as the minerals calcium and phosphorus.
Making 'pan de casabe' requires that you first process the flesh. Start by peeling the root and then grating the flesh to a pulp. The next step is to squeeze out as much of the liquid from the pulp as you can. This is a very important step because the liquid is poisonous.
You can now add salt to the pulp if you want. Take handfuls of pulp and shape them into patties. You may also use a mold that was designed specifically for this purpose. Heat a frying pan and, without adding oil, cook the patties until they're golden on either side. As the flatbreads cool, they will become crispy.
The best place to find 'pan de casabe' is to travel to the Caribbean, for instance to the Dominican Republic, and enjoy it at the source. If you want the taste of the Caribbean at home, though, you can try buying either the roots or the ready-made cassava bread at stores that specialize in Caribbean cuisine. Dominican or Jamaican restaurants are likely to serve it as a side dish too and may be willing to sell it to you to go.
The main reason why people in the Caribbean eat 'pan de casabe' is because they've been doing so for centuries. It's made of the root of the cassava plant, which is native to the region as well as to parts of South America. The root is brown in color and has a long, thin shape. Remove the skin, however, and you'll find a starchy flesh inside, which is a light yellow or white in color.
When the first European explorers came to the Caribbean, they found that people all over the region and as far away as Central and South America were eating 'pan de casabe' as a staple food. They took this foodstuff with them to the Iberian Peninsula and from there it spread across the world along with other New World foods like potatoes, tomatoes and corn. Today the root is a staple in regions like West Africa too.
There are many ways to eat 'pan de casabe'. Some people go all out and cover it with cheese to make a pizza with a Caribbean flavor. It's great to use as croutons to give substance to soups or crunch to salads and it goes very well with dips too. More traditional is to top it with eggs, avocado or beans and eat it like you would eat tortillas. You can also keep it simple by adding only a little bit of salt and a dash of olive oil.
Like most starches, the root is a great source of energy-giving carbohydrates. It's a healthy choice too because it contains only small amounts of fat and sodium. At the same time it's rich in Vitamin C as well as the minerals calcium and phosphorus.
Making 'pan de casabe' requires that you first process the flesh. Start by peeling the root and then grating the flesh to a pulp. The next step is to squeeze out as much of the liquid from the pulp as you can. This is a very important step because the liquid is poisonous.
You can now add salt to the pulp if you want. Take handfuls of pulp and shape them into patties. You may also use a mold that was designed specifically for this purpose. Heat a frying pan and, without adding oil, cook the patties until they're golden on either side. As the flatbreads cool, they will become crispy.
The best place to find 'pan de casabe' is to travel to the Caribbean, for instance to the Dominican Republic, and enjoy it at the source. If you want the taste of the Caribbean at home, though, you can try buying either the roots or the ready-made cassava bread at stores that specialize in Caribbean cuisine. Dominican or Jamaican restaurants are likely to serve it as a side dish too and may be willing to sell it to you to go.
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