Cassareep is a thick black liquid made from cassava root, often with additional spices, which is used as a base for many sauces and especially in Guyanese pepperpot. Besides use as a flavoring and browning agent, it is commonly regarded as a food preservative although laboratory testing is inconclusive.
A jar of commercially-produced cassareep sold in the US.
Cassareep is made from the juice of the bitter cassava root, which is poisonous (it contains acetone cyanohydrin, a compound which decomposes to the highly toxic hydrogen cyanide on contact with water).[1] Hydrogen cyanide, traditionally called "prussic acid", is volatile and quickly dissipates when heated.[2] Nevertheless, improperly cooked cassava has been blamed for a number of deaths.[3] Amerindians from Guyana reportedly made an antidote by steeping chili peppers in rum.[4]
To make cassareep, the juice is boiled until it is reduced by half in volume,[5] to the consistency of molasses[4] and flavored with spices—including cloves, cinnamon, salt, sugar, and cayenne pepper.[6] Traditionally, cassareep was boiled in a soft pot, the actual "pepper pot", which would absorb the flavors and also impart them (even if dry) to foods such as rice and chicken cooked in it.[7]
Most cassareep is exported from Guyana.[8] The natives of Guyana traditionally brought the product to town in bottles,[9] and it is available on the US market in bottled form.[10] Though the cassava root traveled from Brazil to Africa, where the majority of cassava is grown, there is no production of cassareep in Africa.[11]
Culinary use
Cassareep is used for two distinct goals, that originate from two important aspects of the ingredient: its particular flavor, and its preservative quality.
Cassareep is essential in the preparation of pepperpot, and gives the dish its "distinctive bittersweet flavor."[12] Cassareep can also be used as an added flavoring to dishes, "imparting upon them the richness and flavour of strong beef-soup."[5]
A peculiar quality of cassareep, which works as an antiseptic, is that it allows food to be kept "on the back of the stove"[13] for indefinite lengths of time,[14] as long as additional cassareep is added every time meat is added. According to legend, Betty Mascoll of Grenada had a pepperpot that was maintained like this for more than a century.[13] Dutch planters in Suriname reportedly had pepperpots in daily use that they kept cooking for many years,[5] as did "businessmen's clubs" in the Caribbean.[15]
Medical application
The antiseptic qualities of cassareep are well known—so well known, in fact, that the Reverend J.G. Wood, who published his Wanderings in South America in 1879, was criticized for not mentioning the "antiseptic properties of cassava juice (cassareep), which enables the Indian on a canoe voyage to take with him a supply of meat for several days."[16]
In the mid- to late nineteenth century, as reports of adventures by English explorers became widely read in England, statements about cassareep and its antiseptic qualities became easily available; an early example was a publication in The Pharmaceutical Journal from 1847,[17] and similar references can be found throughout the late nineteenth century, such as in the work of Irish naturalist and explorer Thomas Heazle Parke[18] and in pharmaceutical[19] and trade journals.[20] Professor Attfield, professor of practical chemistry for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, however, in the 1870 edition of the Year-book of Pharmacy, claimed that his laboratory studies proved no effectiveness whatsoever.[21] Still, pharmaceutical journals and handbooks began to report of the possible use of cassareep, and suggested it might be helpful in the treatment of, for instance, eye afflictions such as corneal ulcers[22][23][24][25] and conjunctivitis.[26]
References
^Aregheore E. M.; Agunbiade O. O. (1991). "The toxic effects of cassava (manihot esculenta grantz) diets on humans: a review". Vet. Hum. Toxicol. 33 (3): 274–275. PMID 1650055.
^Meehans' monthly: a magazine of horticulture, botany and kindred subjects, Volumes 11-12. Thomas Meehan & Sons. 1901. p. 108.
^White W. L. B.; Arias-Garzon D. I.; McMahon J. M.; Sayre R. T. (1998). "Cyanogenesis in Cassava : The Role of Hydroxynitrile Lyase in Root Cyanide Production". Plant Physiol. 116 (4): 1219–1225. doi:10.1104/pp.116.4.1219. PMC35028. PMID 9536038.
^ abNicholls, Henry Alfred Alford (1906). A text-book of tropical agriculture. Macmillan. p. 278.
^ abcJohnson, J.M (1872). Food Journal, Vol. 2. p. 375.
^Harris, Dunstan A. (2003). Island Cooking: Recipes from the Caribbean. Ten Speed Press. p. 138. ISBN978-1-58008-501-4.
^Wood, John George (1886). Man and his handiwork. Society for promoting Christian knowledge. pp. 455–56.
^Moore, Wavery Ann (2005-12-07). "Taste: To Market". St. Petersburg Times. p. 1.E. Retrieved 2009-07-11.
^Dalton, Henry G. (2005). The History of British Guiana: Comprising a General Description of the Colony (1855). Adamant Media Corporation (reprint). p. 185. ISBN978-1-4021-8865-7.
^Herbst, Sharon Tyler (2001). The new food lover's companion: comprehensive definitions of nearly 6,000 food, drink, and culinary terms. Barron's Educational Series. p. 105. ISBN978-0-7641-1258-4.
^Ucko, Peter; G. Dimbledy (2007). The Domestication and Exploitation of Plants and Animals. Aldine Transaction. p. 183. ISBN978-0-202-36169-7.
^Kaufman, Cheryl Davidson (2002). Cooking the Caribbean Way. Twenty-First Century Books. p. 36. ISBN978-0-8225-4103-5.
^ abHarris, Jessica B. (2003). Beyond gumbo: Creole fusion food from the Atlantic Rim. Simon and Schuster. p. 226. ISBN978-0-684-87062-5.
^Verrill, Alpheus Hyatt; Otis Warren Barrett (1937). Foods America gave the world: the strange, fascinating and often romantic histories of many native American food plants, their origin and other interesting and curious facts concerning them. L.C. Page. p. 64.
^Miller, Sally (2008). Contemporary Caribbean Cooking. Miller Publishing. p. 124. ISBN978-976-8079-75-6.
^"Charles Waterton". Littell's Little Age. 145 (1870): 131–49. 1880-04-17. Retrieved 2009-11-12. p. 149.
^Professor Attfield (1870). "Analysis of Bitter Cassava Juice, and Experiments in Elucidation of its Supposed Antiseptic Properties". Year-book of pharmacy: 382–85. Retrieved 2009-11-12. p. 382.
^Parke, Thomas Heazle (1891). My personal experiences in equatorial Africa: as medical officer of the Emin Pasha relief expedition. C. Scribner. p. 485.
^"Extracts from Mr. Holmes's Paper on some of the Drug Exhibits at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition". Timehri. Royal Agricultural and Commercial Society of British Guiana: 156–60. 1887. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
^Professor Attfield (1870). "Analysis of Bitter Cassava Juice, and Experiments in Elucidation of its Supposed Antiseptic Properties". Year-book of pharmacy: 382–85. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
^Shrady, George Frederick; Thomas Lathrop Stedman (1898). Medical record, Volume 54. W. Wood. p. 771.
^Gillman, R.W. (1898). "Ophthalmology and Otology: Cassaripe, A New Remedy for Corneal Ulcers". The Medical Age. 16: 544. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
^Risley, S.D. (1898). "New Treatment of Ulcers and Other Infectious Diseases of the Eye by Cassareep". Ophthalmic Record: A Monthly Review of the Progress of Ophthalmology. 7: 460. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
^"Cassareep: A New Treatment of Ulcers and Other Infectious Diseases of the Eye". Medical Record. W. Wood: 771. 1898. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
^Dorland, William Alexander Newman (1914). Dorland's illustrated medical dictionary. Saunders. p. 187.
Further reading
Harris, Dunstan A. (2003). Island Cooking: Recipes from the Caribbean. Ten Speed Press. p. 138. ISBN978-1-58008-501-4. Cassareep recipe.
January 06, 2023
cassareep, thick, black, liquid, made, from, cassava, root, often, with, additional, spices, which, used, base, many, sauces, especially, guyanese, pepperpot, besides, flavoring, browning, agent, commonly, regarded, food, preservative, although, laboratory, te. Cassareep is a thick black liquid made from cassava root often with additional spices which is used as a base for many sauces and especially in Guyanese pepperpot Besides use as a flavoring and browning agent it is commonly regarded as a food preservative although laboratory testing is inconclusive A jar of commercially produced cassareep sold in the US Contents 1 Production 2 Culinary use 3 Medical application 4 References 5 Further readingProduction Edit Cassava roots Cassareep is made from the juice of the bitter cassava root which is poisonous it contains acetone cyanohydrin a compound which decomposes to the highly toxic hydrogen cyanide on contact with water 1 Hydrogen cyanide traditionally called prussic acid is volatile and quickly dissipates when heated 2 Nevertheless improperly cooked cassava has been blamed for a number of deaths 3 Amerindians from Guyana reportedly made an antidote by steeping chili peppers in rum 4 To make cassareep the juice is boiled until it is reduced by half in volume 5 to the consistency of molasses 4 and flavored with spices including cloves cinnamon salt sugar and cayenne pepper 6 Traditionally cassareep was boiled in a soft pot the actual pepper pot which would absorb the flavors and also impart them even if dry to foods such as rice and chicken cooked in it 7 Most cassareep is exported from Guyana 8 The natives of Guyana traditionally brought the product to town in bottles 9 and it is available on the US market in bottled form 10 Though the cassava root traveled from Brazil to Africa where the majority of cassava is grown there is no production of cassareep in Africa 11 Culinary use EditCassareep is used for two distinct goals that originate from two important aspects of the ingredient its particular flavor and its preservative quality Cassareep is essential in the preparation of pepperpot and gives the dish its distinctive bittersweet flavor 12 Cassareep can also be used as an added flavoring to dishes imparting upon them the richness and flavour of strong beef soup 5 A peculiar quality of cassareep which works as an antiseptic is that it allows food to be kept on the back of the stove 13 for indefinite lengths of time 14 as long as additional cassareep is added every time meat is added According to legend Betty Mascoll of Grenada had a pepperpot that was maintained like this for more than a century 13 Dutch planters in Suriname reportedly had pepperpots in daily use that they kept cooking for many years 5 as did businessmen s clubs in the Caribbean 15 Medical application EditThe antiseptic qualities of cassareep are well known so well known in fact that the Reverend J G Wood who published his Wanderings in South America in 1879 was criticized for not mentioning the antiseptic properties of cassava juice cassareep which enables the Indian on a canoe voyage to take with him a supply of meat for several days 16 In the mid to late nineteenth century as reports of adventures by English explorers became widely read in England statements about cassareep and its antiseptic qualities became easily available an early example was a publication in The Pharmaceutical Journal from 1847 17 and similar references can be found throughout the late nineteenth century such as in the work of Irish naturalist and explorer Thomas Heazle Parke 18 and in pharmaceutical 19 and trade journals 20 Professor Attfield professor of practical chemistry for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain however in the 1870 edition of the Year book of Pharmacy claimed that his laboratory studies proved no effectiveness whatsoever 21 Still pharmaceutical journals and handbooks began to report of the possible use of cassareep and suggested it might be helpful in the treatment of for instance eye afflictions such as corneal ulcers 22 23 24 25 and conjunctivitis 26 References Edit Aregheore E M Agunbiade O O 1991 The toxic effects of cassava manihot esculenta grantz diets on humans a review Vet Hum Toxicol 33 3 274 275 PMID 1650055 Meehans monthly a magazine of horticulture botany and kindred subjects Volumes 11 12 Thomas Meehan amp Sons 1901 p 108 White W L B Arias Garzon D I McMahon J M Sayre R T 1998 Cyanogenesis in Cassava The Role of Hydroxynitrile Lyase in Root Cyanide Production Plant Physiol 116 4 1219 1225 doi 10 1104 pp 116 4 1219 PMC 35028 PMID 9536038 a b Nicholls Henry Alfred Alford 1906 A text book of tropical agriculture Macmillan p 278 a b c Johnson J M 1872 Food Journal Vol 2 p 375 Harris Dunstan A 2003 Island Cooking Recipes from the Caribbean Ten Speed Press p 138 ISBN 978 1 58008 501 4 Wood John George 1886 Man and his handiwork Society for promoting Christian knowledge pp 455 56 Moore Wavery Ann 2005 12 07 Taste To Market St Petersburg Times p 1 E Retrieved 2009 07 11 Dalton Henry G 2005 The History of British Guiana Comprising a General Description of the Colony 1855 Adamant Media Corporation reprint p 185 ISBN 978 1 4021 8865 7 Herbst Sharon Tyler 2001 The new food lover s companion comprehensive definitions of nearly 6 000 food drink and culinary terms Barron s Educational Series p 105 ISBN 978 0 7641 1258 4 Ucko Peter G Dimbledy 2007 The Domestication and Exploitation of Plants and Animals Aldine Transaction p 183 ISBN 978 0 202 36169 7 Kaufman Cheryl Davidson 2002 Cooking the Caribbean Way Twenty First Century Books p 36 ISBN 978 0 8225 4103 5 a b Harris Jessica B 2003 Beyond gumbo Creole fusion food from the Atlantic Rim Simon and Schuster p 226 ISBN 978 0 684 87062 5 Verrill Alpheus Hyatt Otis Warren Barrett 1937 Foods America gave the world the strange fascinating and often romantic histories of many native American food plants their origin and other interesting and curious facts concerning them L C Page p 64 Miller Sally 2008 Contemporary Caribbean Cooking Miller Publishing p 124 ISBN 978 976 8079 75 6 Charles Waterton Littell s Little Age 145 1870 131 49 1880 04 17 Retrieved 2009 11 12 p 149 Professor Attfield 1870 Analysis of Bitter Cassava Juice and Experiments in Elucidation of its Supposed Antiseptic Properties Year book of pharmacy 382 85 Retrieved 2009 11 12 p 382 Parke Thomas Heazle 1891 My personal experiences in equatorial Africa as medical officer of the Emin Pasha relief expedition C Scribner p 485 Holmes E M 1887 Some of the Drug Exhibits at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition The Pharmaceutical Journal Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain 17 405 11 Retrieved 2009 11 12 p 411 Extracts from Mr Holmes s Paper on some of the Drug Exhibits at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition Timehri Royal Agricultural and Commercial Society of British Guiana 156 60 1887 Retrieved 2009 11 12 Professor Attfield 1870 Analysis of Bitter Cassava Juice and Experiments in Elucidation of its Supposed Antiseptic Properties Year book of pharmacy 382 85 Retrieved 2009 11 12 Shrady George Frederick Thomas Lathrop Stedman 1898 Medical record Volume 54 W Wood p 771 Gillman R W 1898 Ophthalmology and Otology Cassaripe A New Remedy for Corneal Ulcers The Medical Age 16 544 Retrieved 2009 11 12 Risley S D 1898 New Treatment of Ulcers and Other Infectious Diseases of the Eye by Cassareep Ophthalmic Record A Monthly Review of the Progress of Ophthalmology 7 460 Retrieved 2009 11 12 Cassareep A New Treatment of Ulcers and Other Infectious Diseases of the Eye Medical Record W Wood 771 1898 Retrieved 2009 11 12 Dorland William Alexander Newman 1914 Dorland s illustrated medical dictionary Saunders p 187 Further reading EditHarris Dunstan A 2003 Island Cooking Recipes from the Caribbean Ten Speed Press p 138 ISBN 978 1 58008 501 4 Cassareep recipe Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cassareep amp oldid 1061235621, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
