Manihot is a plant genus of the spurge family, euphorbiaceae. It contains around 98 species that are native to the Americas, and the best known member of this genus is the cassava (manihot esculenta). Cassava (manihot esculenta) is a tuber which grows mainly in the rainforest vegetation of the climatic zone. Its kingdom is plantae, its Order is malpighiales, whereas the family is euphorbiaceae and the sub-family is crotonoideae. The tribe is manihoteae and the Genus is manihot. In Nigeria, it is richly found in the East, West, South, and in the middle belt zones. Cassava is a perennial shrub of about 6 feet tall. It has palmate leaves with brittle stem.Its fruit is round or oblong. The young leaves are used as vegetable because it contains high amount of vitamin C and A. The cultivation is done by cuttingthe cassava stems into 10” – 12”long, and dipping it inside the soil with the buds facing upwards.4-5 days the stem were cultivated, the buds are seen germinating from its cavity. The cultivated cassava stem is allowed to stay up to 20-24 months for the stem to grow intofull grown cassava tuber. The cassava tuber is then uprooted from the soil. After when the cassava stem is uprooted from the soil, the back is peeled and washed with water. Now that thepeeled cassava tuber has been washed, it will be soaked in water for about 3-4 days for the tuber to soften. On the fourth day, depending on how soft the cassava tuber is, the cassava will be removed from where it was soaked and emptied into an empty basin. Provide another basin filled with, make a sieve available. The sieve will be used to filter the cassava flesh from itsroots. Now that the basin full of water and sieve are available, provide a small stool so as to spare you hip pains. The small stool should be installed where getting the cassava tuber and sieving it will be at ease. Start sieving the cassava in the basin, now that the cassava has been sieved and the cassava flesh are being filtered from its roots, now is the time to empty the sipped cassava tuber into a bag and tie it with a rope. After tying the bagfull of filtered content, the filtered content should be placed on a wooden or metal sheet for the liquid in it to drip away.
Note:- The bag to be used shouldbe a quality bag so as to enhance very good results.
The root that was filtered out from the cassava tuber is used to feed thelivestock, etc. As the water in thebag has dropped out of the bag, now the filtered cassava tuber hardens. It is now time to empty the hardened content into an empty, clean and dry container, preferably a plastic basin. Now that the content is inside the container, the next step is for you to ignite your stove, gas cooker or any other cooking instrument. Pour a 2/3 of water into a pot and put it on fire, and as the water in the pot boils, mould the cassava tuber contentinto balls and put it inside the boiling water and allow it to boil for about 15-18 minutes depending of the generated fire power. By now your mortar and pestle should be at your ease. Use a perforated big kitchen spoon to empty the boiled content into the mortar and pound it with your pestle. When you are done with the pounding, mould it again the second time and put it back into the pot againand boil it for the second time. Boil it again for about the same minutes you did earlier. Bring it out from the pot and put it in themortar for a second pound. As you have finished pounding it forthe second time, now is the time for you to empty the pounded cassava flesh into a plastic container or any other one available. Dispose the water that was used for the boil and wash up your cooking utensils. Now you now have the pounded cassava popularly called “Akpu” or “Fufu” in Nigeria.
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As edited, formatted and published by 'Ucheonye Nzubechi
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