MiniBlue.com: Buying Habanero Chiles and Yuca (Casava)

Habaneros are the second hottest chile peper in the world and are cultivated in the Yucatán Peninsula. (Naga Jolokia from China is the hottest.) Here they are on display in a Washington State grocery store for a discount at $7.99 a pound if you buy 10 pounds or more. One would wonder how many people have ever bought 10 pounds of these little hotties.

The crop is most widely cultivated in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. Costa Rica, Panama and parts of the United States including Texas, Idaho, and California. While Mexico is the largest consumer of this spicy ingredient, its flavor and aroma have become increasingly popular.

Yuca is also a very popular root food. It tastes and has a texture similar to a boiled potato with a hint of corn flavor to it. Cassava must be cooked properly to detoxify it before it is eaten. To prepare yuca, you should first peel off the waxy brown skin. (By the way - pick yuca that is not too big - just because it is more likely to have some lower quality tough or rotten spots.) Then cut it up into two or three inch sections. It will be hard and white. (Pieces will be about the size of quartered potatoes.) Boil in hot water until it becomes soft. The center will part revealing a stringy section that you can remove. Add some salt and they are ready to eat. You can also deep fry them after boiling and they are awesome. They are popular in Central America and Mexico. They are the third most popular source of carbohydrates in the world. Nigeria is a major producer. Often people confuse the name with "yucca - with two "c"s. This is a decorative plant popular throughout the Americas, but should not be confused with "yuca". Also known as cassava and manioc.

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• yuca
• cassava
• manioc