Cassava (Manihot esculenta), is also called manioc, yuca, balinghoy or kamoteng kahoy (in

the Philippines), mogo (in Africa),mandioca, tapioca-root (predominantly in India) and manioc
root, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae (spurge) family native to South America, is
extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its
edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates. It differs from the similarly
spelled yucca, an unrelated fruit-bearing shrub in the Asparagaceae family. Cassava, when dried
to a powdery (or pearly) extract, is called tapioca; its fermented, flaky version is named garri.
Cassava is the third largest source of food carbohydrates in the tropics,
after rice and maize.
[1][2]
Cassava is a major staple food in the developing world, providing a
basic diet for over half a billion people.
[3]
It is one of the most drought tolerant crops, capable of
growing on marginal soils. Nigeria is the world's largest producer of cassava, while Thailand is
the largest exporting country of dried cassava.
Cassava root is a good source of carbohydrates, but a poor source of protein. A diet consisting
predominantly of cassava root can causeprotein-energy malnutrition.
[4]

Cassava is classified as sweet or bitter. Like other roots and tubers, cassava
contains antinutritional factors and toxins.
[5]
It must be properly prepared before consumption.
Improper preparation of cassava can leave enough residual cyanide to cause acute cyanide
intoxication and goiters, and may even cause ataxia or partial paralysis.
[6]
Nevertheless, farmers
often prefer the bitter varieties because they deter pests, animals, and thieves.
[7]
The more toxic
varieties of cassava are a fall-back resource (a "food security crop") in times of famine in some
places.