09/16/2026
Let’s harvest cassava together! Cassava is a tropical root crop that is important around the world, eaten widely in South America, Asia, and African countries. It was brought over by the Portuguese in the early 1800ʻs to Hawaiʻi.
The large, starchy roots grow underground and can be harvested after 6-12 months, depending on the variety. This plant grows really well in the understory of agroforests and like well drained, loose soil and can tolerate periods of drought once it’s been established. Its ability to grow an abundance of edible roots, with little inputs makes it an impactful plant for food security across the world.
Ekahi , one of our farmers at Nā Māla Kaiāulu is harvesting some cassava for our community harvest day. As you can see in the video, he is cutting the entire plant back, before digging it up.
To properly process after harvesting, peel off the entire outer skin and soak the roots in water for 24 hours before cooking. The roots, once ready, can be boiled, baked, steamed, or fried. Nutritionally cassava is a powerhouse as a carbohydrate because it is a resistant starch. These starches resist digestion in the small intestine and ferment in the large intestine, which act like fiber to feed good bacteria in the gut. When starches are digested they typically break down into glucose. Because resistant starch is not digested in the small intestine, it doesn’t raise glucose and minimizes blood sugar spikes. Cassava also contains high amounts of vitamin C.
