Yesterday, I explored three Asian stores for frozen Cassava leaves!!! Tomorrow, I will try stores specialized in Filipino products. It has been years since my last plate of cassava leaves. In Comoros, it is called Mataba, home it is also called isombe or sombe, and commonly known as Saka saka or Pondu. I did call my mother for the recipe!! It seems that a lot of people around here might be craving those leaves. Seriously three stores were out! Nevertheless, I did find grated cassava. It is perfect for a gluten free recipes:“Cassava Bibingka” a Filipino cake, or Bâton de Manioc steamed in banana leaves, a sort of central African bread.
Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) leaves contained a high level of protein. That is why they are so popular. They have a high content of protein, minerals and vitamins. In Humanity Development Library, it is said that "Eating 50 grams of cassava leaves-the equivalent of a large salad-or a mere three grams of red palm oil per day could prevent a child from going blind. Yet half a million children are destined to blindness, and two-thirds of them to die, for lack of a daily supply of the crucial amounts of vitamin A contained in such common tropical foods". According to studies, consumption of 400g cassava leaves is equivalent to protein intake of 45 to 50 grams. It is a smart addition to any vegetarian meals. According to Wikipedia, the leaves are used to treat hypertension, headache, irritable bowel syndrome and pain. Personally, they are a taste of home loaded with protein and a souvenir of my childhood.
In pursue of Cassava leaves ...
