Killer Cassava

It’s one of the world’s staple foods; the third largest source of carbohydrates for human food in the world in fact. It’s a shame then that it’s jam-pack full of cyanide.

One serving of raw cassava is enough to kill a cow let alone a man. Cooking is sufficient to destroy all the cyanide in some of the smaller varieties, but for the larger, woodier types they need to be peeled, ground into flour, soaked in water, squeezed dry several times and toasted.

Whilst cassava is safely prepared most of the time, accidents do occur. In 2005 a dodgy batch of cassava killed 29 school children and hospitalised a further 40 or so in the Philippines.

Back to Top Ten Deadly Vegetables

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