Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Cassava

Physical Characteristics:

Ø  {C}Cassava Form: elongated root shape.

Ø  {C}Cassava Size: length 30 ~ 120cm, diameter 4 ~ 8cm, weight 1 ~ 8kg.

Ø  {C}Cassava Structure: cassava tuber surface covered with a layer of hard skin, called the root bark. Root bark is a two-story structure, skin and endothelium. The skin comprises a layer of cork and the cork cambium cells, accounting for 0.5% ~2% of tuber mass and the endothelium consists of cork inner and bust taking up 8% to 15%. The starch amount of cassava root bark is about half of that of the central part of root, but the root bark is hard and difficult to break.

Chemical Characteristics:

Ø  {C}Average chemical composition in cassava roots

Ø  {C}Cassava can be roughly divided into two categories: sweet cassava and bitter cassava. Bitter cassava contains more phenolic hydrogen cyanide while sweet cassava contains less. Accounting for the hydrogen cyanide content, fresh bitter cassava roots contain 250mg/kg, sweet fresh cassava roots contain 50mg/kg.