3    Use of Cassava Flour

Cassava flour has major potential as an additive to or substitute for other types of flour in private households and in the food industry.

Use of Cassava Flour in Private Households

Cassava flour can be used in private households to create a range of new dishes, including pastries such as cookies, biscuits and rolls, doughnuts, cakes, bread, flakes, meat pies and other pies. Cassava flour is generally less expensive than imported wheat flour, enabling household users to occasionally surprise the family with some unexpected cookies or a cake at no extra cost.

In Chapter 5 of this booklet a recipe developed by IITA is provided, to encourage users to try out a new cassava flour product. Further recipes can be obtained from IITA, PMB 5320, Ibadan, Nigeria (E-Mail: m.bokanga@cgnet.com). The INPhO homepage indicated in chapter 6 (www.fao.org/inpho) also contains several publications with numerous recipes (e.g. a special cookery book and the document "Utilising Root Crops").

Use of Cassava Flour in the Food Industry

Cassava flour is becoming a welcome ingredient in many commercial food products, especially in Latin American countries. In Africa, these potentials are still underexploited. The following examples highlight the potential of cassava flour:

This table shows that the partial or complete substitution of wheat flour by cassava flour has a positive effect on the quality of a range of food items, without increasing the cost. It could also be an incentive for the African food industry to include new recipes. Substituting wheat for cassava flour would reduce the need for imports.