Cassava: Singkong or Keju??

Cassava is the third-largest source of carbohydrates for meals in the world. Singkong is an Indonesian for Cassava, some people call it Tapioca, Ubi Kayu, atau Pohong in Javanese, balanghoy (Philippines), mushu (China). Haha...got somany name ya.. like me.... qiqiqi.. noo actually I only have 1 fix name, other just a nick name. Dea is derived from 'Dear'. Some one called me with that name..long time ago... someone from the past. Will I meet her in the future? Naaa... don't know. Future is not for me to see...

Since Cassava roots or Singkong or Ubi Kayu contain a high starch content, but low quantity of impurities such as protein and lipid, they are recognized as an excellent source of pure starch suitable for a wide range of applications. The most important characteristics of cassava starch are odorless, paste clarity, and stickiness. These remarkable characteristics of cassava starch are enable to be conveniently and readily blended with other flavoring and coloring agents. Cassava is not only used as a food security, but it is also served as a source of chemical reagent, feed stock of all fermentation processes, and adhesive substance. The various applications of cassava starch are appealing to the industrial sector for starch manufacturing process.

Cassava originated in Brazil and Paraguay. Today it has been given the status of a cultigen with no wild forms of this species being known. It is a perennial woody shrub, grown as an annual. The largest producer of cassava is Brazil, followed by Thailand, Nigeria, Zaire and Indonesia. In Indonesia, cassava is used in a variety of food products, the same way potatoes are used in the U.S. They can be used as vegetables in dishes, grated to make pancakes, dried and ground into tapioca flour, or sliced and made into snack chips. The cassava used in Indies International Cassava Chips is known by the Latin name Manihot Utilisima. It is grown in the farm lands surrounding the town of Bogor in West Java, Indonesia, about 37 miles south of Jakarta, Indonesia's capital city.

While the cassava roots are very rich in starch, and contain significant amounts of calcium (50 mg/100g), phosphorus (40 mg/100g) and vitamin C (25 mg/100g). However, they are poor in protein and other nutrients. In contrast, cassava leaves are a good source of protein and rich in the amino acid lysine, though deficient in methionine and possibly tryptophan. But should remember one thing, cassava plant has toxic compounds (cyanogens) in its tubers and leaves. Improper preparation of cassava for food should be avoided. Boiling and drying make cassava safe for consumption. Grating, fermenting, and sun-drying are other effective methods. In Nigeria and several other west African countries, including Ghana, Benin, Togo, Ivory Coast, and Burkina Faso, they are usually grated and lightly fried in palm oil to preserve them. The result is a foodstuff called gari. Fermentation is also used in Indonesia its called Tapai. The fermentation process also reduces the level of antinutrients, making the cassava a more nutritious food. People dependant on cassava risk cyanide poisoning and malnutrition diseases such as kwashiorkor and endemic goiter.

Cassava grows rather well on poor soils but to produce high yields the crop requires large amount of nutrients. To maintain high yields, it is necessary to maintain the fertility of the soil. Some Asian farmers apply 5-7 tons of manure in a hectare. The application of nutrients to cassava soils in the form of animal manure and through intercropping with grain legumes play significant roles in increasing cassava yields and maintaining soil fertility.

Most cassava is harvested by hand, lifting the lower part of stem and pulling the roots out of the ground, then removing them from the base of the plant by hand. The shelf life of cassava is only a few days unless the roots receive special treatment. Removing the leaves two weeks before harvest lengthens the shelf life to two weeks. Dipping the roots in paraffin or a wax or storing them in plastic bags reduces the incidence of vascular streaking and extends the shelf life to three or four weeks. Roots can be peeled and frozen. Traditional methods include packing the roots in moist mulch to extend shelf life.

In many countries, significant research has begun to evaluate the use of cassava as an ethanol biofuel feedstock. Under the Development Plan for Renewable Energy in the 11th Five-Year Plan in China, the target is to increase the application of ethanol fuel by non-grain feedstock to 2 million tonnes, and that of bio-diesel to 200 thousand tonnes by 2010. This will be equivalent to a substitute of 10 million tonnes of petroleum. As a result, cassava (tapioca) chips have gradually become a major source for ethanol production. On December 22, 2007, the largest cassava ethanol fuel production facility was completed in Beihai with annual output of two hundred thousand tons, which would need an average of one and half million tons of cassava. In November 2008, China-based Hainan Yedao Group reportedly invested $51.5m (£31.8m) in a new biofuel facility that is expected to produce 33 million gallons a year of bio-ethanol from cassava plants.

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