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Cassava
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For other uses, see Yuca (disambiguation).
Cabasea

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Order: Malpighiales

Family: Euphorbiaceae

Subfamily: Crotonoideae

Tribe: Manihoteae

Genus: Manihot

Species: M. esculenta

Binomial name
Manihot esculenta
Crantz

Cassava (Manihot esculenta), also called yuca or manioc, is a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae (spurge family) native to South America.[6] Cassava is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates. Nigeria is the world's largest producer of cassava.

Cassava is the third-largest source of carbohydrates for meals in the world.[1][2] Cassava is classified as sweet or bitter depending on the level of toxic cyanogenic glucosides; improper preparation of bitter cassava causes a disease called konzo. Nevertheless, farmers often prefer the bitter varieties because they deter pests, animals, and thieves.[3]

Cassava is sometimes spelled cassaba or cassada.[4] In English-language publications, the plant may be occasionally called by local names, such as mandioca, aipim, or macaxeira (Brazil), yuca (Colombia), kassav (Haiti), mandi´o (Paraguay), akpu, ege or ugburu (Nigeria), bankye (Ghana), mogo or mihogo (Swahili-speaking Africa), kappa or cheeni (India), maniok (Sri Lanka), singkong (Indonesia), ubi kayu (Malaysia), kamoteng kahoy or balanghoy (Philippines), mushu (China), man sampalang (Thailand), củ sắn or khoai mì (Vietnam), and manioke , tapioka or manioka (Polynesia).[5]