Cassava with Sesame Tahini
24 September 2024
This dish with cassava, sesame and tahini blends ingredients from different cultures. Cassava, native to South America and a staple in indigenous diets, is combined with tahini, a traditional sesame paste from the Middle East. This fusion reflects modern culinary creativity, bringing together flavors from different regions to create unique and nutritious appetizers with both tropical and Mediterranean influences.
Ingredients
2 pounds cassava
60 grams Sesame seeds
40 grams Sesame paste
2 tablespoons Flour
1 Egg
200 mililiter water
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup oil
Method
Peal the cassava and cook in salty water until soft. Proceed to smash the cassava until it obtains the texture similar to dough.
Take some of the cassava dough, flatten and add some of the sesame paste in the middle. Roll into a ball and cover with more sesame seeds.
Deep fried the ball and serve.
Number of servings: 50-70
Fun fact: Cassava, also called yuca or manioc, is a resilient crop that thrives in drought-prone areas and nutrient-poor soils, making it a critical food source in tropical and subtropical regions. Its high starch content offers more carbohydrates than maize or rice, and in Africa, its leaves are a nutritious source of protein and vitamins. As the sixth most produced crop globally, cassava sustains millions in some of the world's most marginal regions.
The Crop Trust has been instrumental in safeguarding cassava’s genetic diversity. In 2010, it coordinated the cassava and wild manihot conservation strategy. Additionally, in 2016, the Genebank Platform led by the Crop Trust funded a project supporting IITA and TARI’s efforts to collect and conserve Tanzanian cassava landraces under the International Treaty’s Standard Material Transfer Agreement (SMTA).
Category: Cassava