Are Cassava and Yucca the Same Thing? Your Questions, Answered.

PDF download Download Article
Learn the differences between cassava, yuca, yucca, and tapioca
PDF download Download Article

You’ve heard the names “cassava” and “yucca” thrown around kitchens and restaurants, but do these two words mean the same thing? Nope. In fact, “Cassava,” a.k.a. “yuca” (spelled with one “c”) is a root vegetable that bears no resemblance to “yucca” (spelled with two c’s). They’re totally unrelated to each other, despite the similar name. So why do people get them confused? And how do you tell one from the other? We’re glad you asked. This article explains the differences between these two botanical stepsiblings. Keeping reading to learn how the confusion began, and how to tell cassava and yucca apart once and for all.

Things You Should Know

  • Cassava is a plant known for its root vegetable. It’s often referred to as “yuca” (spelled with one “c”) and sometimes ground to make tapioca flour.
  • Yucca (spelled with two c’s) is a shrub known for its narrow, pointy leaves. It doesn’t produce a root vegetable and is totally unrelated to cassava/yuca.
  • Cassava is a valuable crop since it grows easily and its roots are high in carbohydrates. Many cultures have foods and dishes containing cassava.
  • Today, yucca plants are mainly used for decoration and landscaping, though some ancient peoples used it to make shampoo and other products.
Section 1 of 3:

Cassava vs. Yucca

PDF download Download Article
  1. Cassava is a plant known for its edible root vegetable, which is sometimes ground up to produce tapioca flour. Cassava is also called “yuca” (spelled with one “c”) in some cultures, which explains why it’s often confused with “yucca” (spelled with two c’s). Yucca, however, is a shrub known for its narrow, pointy leaves. It doesn’t produce a root vegetable and is totally unrelated to cassava/yuca. [1]
    • The mixup between cassava and yucca originated with European colonialists who confused the two plants for each other.
    • Cassava roots are consumed in many cultures around the world. They’re grown and harvested throughout Latin America, as well as parts of Asia and Africa. [2]
    • Yucca plants are often used for decoration or grown in gardens. Some indigenous peoples of the Americas also used yucca leaves to make belts, ropes, baskets, and clothing, while the roots were used to make shampoo.
    2. Advertisement
Section 2 of 3:

Cassava

PDF download Download Article
  1. Its roots have a nutty flavor and a white, starchy texture that’s slightly firmer than a potato. The roots are wrapped in thick, fibrous outer bark. That plant itself grows 6-8 feet (1.8 - 2.5 meters) tall and has long, yellow-green leaves with reddish stems. [3]
    • Cassava roots can reach 1-4 inches (2.5-10 cm) in diameter and 8-15 inches (20-38 cm) long.
    • Cassava is often farmed and harvested as a food crop. The roots take 8-11 months to mature.
  2. Sweet cassava is peeled, cooked, and eaten as a vegetable. [4] Bitter cassava is usually grounded into powder and heated to produce cassava flour, a.k.a. tapioca flour. [5]
    • Both types of cassava contain toxins, which are eliminated by cooking. [6]
  3. Bitter cassava is ground into cassava starch, a.k.a. tapioca flour, and used to make cakes, pudding, and even tapioca pearls for bubble tea. [7] Sweet cassava can be mixed with milk and creamed into a paste similar to mashed potatoes. [8] It can also be chopped and baked to make yuca fries—the cassava equivalent of french fries—or boiled and served with garlic and olive oil.
    • There are countless recipes for cooking cassava, and many different foods that include cassava as an ingredient. Cassava is found in chips, cookies, breads, brownies, and tortillas, to name just a few possibilities. [9]
  4. Its scientific name is Manihot esculenta , though it’s also known as manioc, yuca, and tapioca (in ground form). [10] The word cassava comes from casavi , the name given to the plant by the indigenous Taíno people who first exposed cassava to European colonizers. [11]
    • Cassava is also ground into starch to produce tapioca flour. The word “tapioca” comes from typióca , the name given to the crop by the Tupi people of South America.
  5. This makes it a very efficient crop for feeding large numbers of people, since a small number of crops produces a lot of calorie-rich food. However, cassava is also very low in fat, protein, and micronutrients like minerals and vitamins. Populations that depend on cassava for carbohydrates must get other nutrients from different sources. [12]
    • Cassava is the second-most carbohydrate-rich crop in the world, second only to sugarcane.
  6. It has a high yield, meaning that many cassava plants can grow on a small area of land. It also grows very well in poor soil and is resistant to drought and insect damage. These traits make cassava an excellent tool for preventing famine. [13]
    • Due to its poor protein and fat content, eating cassava alone can lead to malnutrition. Populations that rely on cassava must get these other nutrients from different sources.
  7. If eaten uncooked, both sweet and bitter cassava contain compounds that release cyanide into the body. Cooking removes most or all of these toxins, so there’s no need to worry. But unlike many vegetables, cassava cannot be safely eaten raw.
    • Cassava is not the only vegetable that contains toxins. Raw yams and sweet potatoes are also toxic, but as with cassava, cooking them makes them safe to eat.
    8. Advertisement
Section 3 of 3:

Yucca

PDF download Download Article
  1. Its flowers are bell-shaped and grow in bunches, while its leaves grow up and outward, giving the plants a distinctive look. Yucca plants produce a black, leathery fruit that can be roasted and tastes somewhat like a banana. [14]
    • There are many species of yucca, most of which are found in Latin America and parts of the Southwest United States.
  2. It’s often grown in gardens or used for landscaping in Latin America and the Southwest United States. [15] Since it grows well in dry, sandy soil and full sunlight, yucca sometimes grows naturally in deserts as well.
    • While yucca plants are not dangerous for humans, they can cause vomiting in dogs and cats if the leaves are ingested. People who grow yucca in their gardens should keep their pets away from the plants as much as possible.
  3. The roots are high in saponin, a substance that creates a soapy lather that’s used in cleaning. To make shampoo, the roots were bounded and mixed with colts water to create suds.
    • Some modern brands make yucca-based shampoo.
    4. Advertisement


Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Care for a Christmas Cactus
      How to
      Prune a Christmas Cactus
      The Best Ways to Propagate Cactus from Cuttings, Offsets, Pads & Grafting
      How to
      Prune Kalanchoe
      How to
      Revive a Dying Cactus
      How to
      Grow a Cactus
      How to
      Get Cactus Needles Out of Skin, Clothes, & Hair
      How to
      Propagate Succulents from Leaves
      How to
      Grow Epiphyllum Cactus
      How to
      Propagate Christmas Cactus
      Why Is My Aloe Plant Drooping? 11 Plant Care Solutions for an Aloe Plant That Won't Stand Up
      How to
      Grow Cactus Indoors
      How to
      Root Cactus
      How to
      Grow Kalanchoe
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/vegetables/cassava.html
      2. ↑ https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/nunn/files/nunn_qian_jep_2010.pdf
      3. ↑ https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/vegetables/cassava.html
      4. ↑ https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/vegetables/cassava.html
      5. ↑ https://plantvillage.psu.edu/blogposts/126-cassava-flour-benefits-and-uses-your-hearty-kitchen-companion
      6. ↑ https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2021/reducing-cassava-cyanide-improves-cognitive-development
      7. ↑ https://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/answerline/2018/01/29/tapioca/
      8. ↑ https://americanhistory.si.edu/sites/default/files/file-uploader/CUH%20031519%20Cassava%20with%20Coconut%20and%20Lime.pdf
      9. ↑ https://plantvillage.psu.edu/blogposts/126-cassava-flour-benefits-and-uses-your-hearty-kitchen-companion
      1. ↑ https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/manihot-esculenta/
      2. ↑ https://www.d.umn.edu/cla/faculty/troufs/anthfood/afcassava.html
      3. ↑ https://archive.unu.edu/unupress/food/8F024e/8F024E01.htm
      4. ↑ https://archive.unu.edu/unupress/food/8F024e/8F024E01.htm
      5. ↑ https://apps.cals.arizona.edu/arboretum/taxon.aspx?id=781
      6. ↑ https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/yucca/

      About This Article

      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 34,305 times.

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisement