Cassava
What it is
Cassava is a starchy root crop used in many cooked foods and processed ingredients. The reference record describes the raw root for analytical comparison only.
What it does
For the named reference food, USDA lists 160 kcal, 38.1 g carbohydrate and 1.8 g fiber per 100 g edible portion. The table gives additional nutrients for that same food form. These figures describe composition, not an effect on a disease or a recommended serving.
Research context and ingredient forms
Reference food: Cassava, raw. These are historical SR Legacy data from the April 2018 release, published in FoodData Central in 2019. A different variety, preparation, water content, or commercial recipe can change the result. For a matching food, a portion estimate scales each value by edible portion grams divided by 100.
Using this information
Raw-weight composition is not an instruction to eat the root raw. Tapioca starch, cassava flour, and a properly prepared cooked root require different nutrient records.
Considerations
Do not eat cassava raw. Cassava contains cyanogenic compounds and requires appropriate food processing to reduce them. A CDC outbreak investigation documents poisoning from improperly processed cassava flour; this entry does not provide a home detoxification method.
Food sources and composition
| Nutrient | Amount and serving basis | Food and source |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 160 kcal per 100 g edible portion | Cassava, raw; Cassava, raw SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Protein | 1.36 g per 100 g edible portion | Cassava, raw; Cassava, raw SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Total lipid (fat) | 0.28 g per 100 g edible portion | Cassava, raw; Cassava, raw SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 38.1 g per 100 g edible portion | Cassava, raw; Cassava, raw SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Fiber, total dietary | 1.8 g per 100 g edible portion | Cassava, raw; Cassava, raw SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Calcium, Ca | 16 mg per 100 g edible portion | Cassava, raw; Cassava, raw SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Iron, Fe | 0.27 mg per 100 g edible portion | Cassava, raw; Cassava, raw SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Magnesium, Mg | 21 mg per 100 g edible portion | Cassava, raw; Cassava, raw SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Potassium, K | 271 mg per 100 g edible portion | Cassava, raw; Cassava, raw SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 20.6 mg per 100 g edible portion | Cassava, raw; Cassava, raw SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
Scientific Research & References
- Cassava, raw
2019 · USDA Agricultural Research Service
Limitations: Historical food/preparation-specific composition. Values can be analytical, calculated or imputed; not a current brand label or clinical-outcome estimate.
Source assessment recorded.
- USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Legacy Release: Documentation
2018 · USDA Agricultural Research Service
Limitations: Historical dataset; values may be analytical, calculated, imputed, or assumed zero. Not clinical-outcome evidence.
Source assessment recorded.
- Outbreak of Cyanide Poisoning Caused by Consumption of Cassava Flour — Kasese District, Uganda, September 2017
Phoebe H. Alitubeera, Patricia Eyu, Benon Kwesiga, Alex R. Ario, Bao-Ping Zhu
2019 · CDC, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report · outbreak investigation
Limitations: Primary outbreak investigation. Supports preparation caution, not a validated household detoxification recipe.
Source assessment recorded.
Related dictionary entries
Products containing it
No label-specific product relationship has been reviewed for this entry.