Yuca (cassava)revisited

[Dave Rinaldo]

This thread prompted me to try some yuca root.

I found this in a Wikopedia entry

The root cannot be consumed raw, since it contains free and bound cyanogenic glucosides which are converted to cyanide in the presence of linamarase, a naturally occurring enzyme in cassava. Cassava varieties are often categorized as either "sweet" or "bitter", signifying the absence or presence of toxic levels of cyanogenic glucosides. The so-called "sweet" (actually "not bitter") cultivars can produce as little as 20 milligrams of cyanide (CN) per kilogram of fresh roots, while "farting" ones may produce more than 50 times as much (1 g/kg). Cassavas grown during drought are especially high in these toxins. [4] [5] One dose of pure cassava cyanogenic glucoside (40mg)is sufficient to kill a cow. Konzo (also called mantakassa) is a paralytic neurological disease associated with several weeks of almost exclusive consumption of insufficiently processed bitter cassava.

Now, I'm not sure what amount of "cooking" is necessary.

The first piece (about 3") I boiled for about 3 min., mainly to remove the wax coating.

After reading the above quote,I got nervous and pulled out the pieces from my tanks.

Any thoughts on this?

[Seedy]

My wife and I boiled the Yuca pieces for 5 to 7 minutes...then ice bathed and fed. I never did get brave enough to try it without cooking...I'm not willing to roll the dice on that one...

[Seedy]

Any update? Did you decide to try again or just use something more "tried and true"

...on further thought...Perhaps the reason this plant root is used in the traps IS because of it's poisonous properties. Perhaps in low doses (of the raw root eaten by the Panaque in the trap) it is acting as a paralytic?

Further thoughts?

[Seedy]

How did it go Dave? Did you try again?

[Dave Rinaldo]

It seems to be OK.

It is now one of many other "veggies" in the rotation being fed.