CASSAVA.— There are several names given to this plant, such as Cassada, Cassado, Manioc, Mandioc, and Maniliot, the last having preference among botanists, as indicated by the botanical name (Jatroplia Maniliot). It is one of the spurge tribe, and presents considerable interest to the culinary artist, from the many uses to which its products are applied. To us it is better known as the plant from which tapioca is obtained, but to the natives of Brazil and other parts where it is cultivated in a rough way, the uses to which its root and juice are applied render it one of the most valuable, and yet, strange to say, most dangerous of Nature’s handi- works. Rhind observes of it, “ When it is considered that this plant belongs to a highly-poisonous tribe, and is itself one of the most virulent of the species, it cannot but excite astonishment to find that it yet yields an abundant poison which, by the art of man, becomes not only perfectly innocent, but highly nutritious, yielding nourishment to many thousands of the natives of South America, and affording a luxury to the tables of more refined Europeans.” The Cassava is indeed one of Nature’s contradictions, in which she seems to delight, but as it is by the hand of man that the conversion takes For details respecting Culinary Processes, Utensils, Sauces, <kc., referred to, see under their special heads. TEE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL COOKERY. 317 Cassava — continued. place, it would perhaps be interesting to know that the grand metamorphosis takes place by simply subjecting the root or juice to heat. There are two kinds of Cassava usually cultivated, termed respectively the bitter and the sweet. The bitter is said to be more poisonous than the sweet, but the roots of both are dried by the Indians, ground into Hour, made into cakes, and baked. The expressed juice of the sweet Cassava, when fermented, pi-oduces the intoxicating liquor called Piwarry. “ Among the Indians of Nicaragua, and also in the interior of Peru,” we are informed by a writer on the subject of the drinks of nations, “ an intoxicating beverage is prepared by chewing the boiled root of Cassava and leaving it to ferment, after mixing with it hot water and cane-juice. The process being much the same as in the case of Kava of Fiji and the South Sea Islands. The juice of the manioc, as described above, is also fermented with the addition of molasses, and con- verted into an intoxicating liquor, in great favour with Indians and negroes.” CASSEROLES.— These are little vessels, used in every kitchen of any pretension. They are usually made of metal, either copper or iron, flat-bottomed, and fitted with short handles. Continental cooks are in the habit of using the term to denote a sort of measure, as a Casserole of rice, and in this way certain dishes have obtained the same distinguishing title, as Casserole au riz, Casserole a VIndienne, Casserole a la Polonaise, Fig. 382. Silver Casserole. and the dish used to hold these Casseroles becomes a Casserole (see Fig. 382) by the same system of adapta- tion. They are generally made of silver.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

CASSAVA.— There are several names given to this plant, such as Cassada, Cassado, Manioc, Mandioc, and Maniliot, the last having preference among botanists, as indicated by the botanical name (Jatroplia Maniliot). It is one of the spurge tribe, and presents considerable interest to the culinary artist, from the many uses to which its products are applied. To us it is better known as the plant from which tapioca is obtained, but to the natives of Brazil and other parts where it is cultivated in a rough way, the uses to which its root and juice are applied render it one of the most valuable, and yet, strange to say, most dangerous of Nature’s handiworks. Rhind observes of it, “ When it is considered that this plant belongs to a highly-poisonous tribe, and is itself one of the most virulent of the species, it cannot but excite astonishment to find that it yet yields an abundant poison which, by the art of man, becomes not only perfectly innocent, but highly nutritious, yielding nourishment to many thousands of the natives of South America, and affording a luxury to the tables of more refined Europeans.” The Cassava is indeed one of Nature’s contradictions, in which she seems to delight, but as it is by the hand of man that the conversion takes For details respecting Culinary Processes, Utensils, Sauces, <kc., referred to, see under their special heads. Cassava — continued. place, it would perhaps be interesting to know that the grand metamorphosis takes place by simply subjecting the root or juice to heat. There are two kinds of Cassava usually cultivated, termed respectively the bitter and the sweet. The bitter is said to be more poisonous than the sweet, but the roots of both are dried by the Indians, ground into Hour, made into cakes, and baked. The expressed juice of the sweet Cassava, when fermented, produces the intoxicating liquor called Piwarry. “ Among the Indians of Nicaragua, and also in the interior of Peru,” we are informed by a writer on the subject of the drinks of nations, “ an intoxicating beverage is prepared by chewing the boiled root of Cassava and leaving it to ferment, after mixing with it hot water and cane-juice. The process being much the same as in the case of Kava of Fiji and the South Sea Islands. The juice of the manioc, as described above, is also fermented with the addition of molasses, and converted into an intoxicating liquor, in great favour with Indians and negroes.” CASSEROLES.— These are little vessels, used in every kitchen of any pretension. They are usually made of metal, either copper or iron, flat-bottomed, and fitted with short handles. Continental cooks are in the habit of using the term to denote a sort of measure, as a Casserole of rice, and in this way certain dishes have obtained the same distinguishing title, as Casserole au riz, Casserole a VIndienne, Casserole a la Polonaise, Fig. 382. Silver Casserole. and the dish used to hold these Casseroles becomes a Casserole (see Fig. 382) by the same system of adaptation. They are generally made of silver.

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