In our first post, we explained what cassava is. I hope you are excited to discover how it tastes and what recipes can you can make with it. But first, you should know where to find fresh cassava in London and, more importantly, how to choose a good one. When I first arrived in London, I thought it would be difficult to find Brazilian ingredients. Thank God I was wrong. In fact, there are many Brazilian supermarkets all around London. But unfortunately, they don’t sell fresh produce.
When I was looking for cassava in the early days, I had to ask around, and the answer surprised me: fresh cassava is easily found in supermarkets like Tesco and Sainsbury’s. I bought from them, but the quality was not great. They’ re usually waxed, and when you cut them open, you’ll often find dark spots and veins in the white flesh, which make them not really suitable for eating. As You cannot tell if a cassava is good just by the look of its skin, it’s not easy to get the right one.
One day I went to Brixton Market and found fresh cassava in every stall I walked by. I was pretty happy to find out how the Caribbean, African and Brazilian cultures are connected through food staples like rice, beans and, of course, cassava.
There is a great chance to find proper fresh cassava from the hands of people who know well the produce. My favourite Latin and Caribbean grocery shop to buy the perfect fresh cassava is Ali Store, located in Brixton Village. Their cassava doesn’t have a thick layer of wax on the skin. And the grocery man always cuts the cassava open in front of you, and you can check if it’s in perfect condition. A good cassava has (or should have) brown wrinkled skin and snow white flesh. It should also have a ‘crunch’ when you cut it. It means that it is fresh and won’t take long to cook.
Watch our expedition to Brixton Village below and stay tuned to learn how to peel fresh cassava, plus some essential recipes with this fantastic and delicious root.
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