Yuca

Grown throughout Central and South America, yuca is a staple ingredient in many cuisines. After rice and corn, it is the third largest source of carbohydrates for countries in tropical climates. It has the starchiness of a potato with the nuttiness of a parsnip. Most of the yuca you’ll find in specialty grocery stores is sweet, but the plant also has bitter varieties. Andrew Cisneros, chef and co-owner of Jalea and Sanguchitos by Brasas, recommends visiting Mexican markets, such as El Morelia or Global Foods to find the plant in St. Louis.

One of the most popular ways to eat yuca is yuca frita. “My mom makes it at home all the time, and it’s a really nice, easy snack,” Cisneros says. The outside is crispy, but the inside has a chew similar to the texture of sourdough bread. At Jalea, Cisneros serves it with huancaina, a sauce made with yellow Peruvian peppers. His version includes peppers, queso fresco, evaporated milk, sour cream and Saltine crackers; he adds everything to a blender and mixes until it’s incorporated but still a bit chunky. “The flavor and consistency of a restaurant’s huancaina is how a Peruvian person will tell if a place is legit or not,” Cisneros says.

Normally, home cooks would need to peel and boil the yuca. Luckily, Cisneros has some shortcuts. Goya Foods produces partially boiled, frozen yuca strips, and Don Julio Foods takes it a step further by offering yuca that is fully ready to drop into the fryer.

Cisneros also loves yuca in a classic Peruvian street snack: “They make yuca beignets, which are amazing. They’re served just on the streets … and fried to order.” Typically, he explains, the dish is made with cassava flour and mashed yuca.

Feast recipe developer Gaby Weir Vera says yuca is also popular in Venezuelan cuisine. It’s served boiled with garlic butter or added to bulk up hearty soups and stews. You can also use cassava flour to make casabe, a cracker-like flatbread. Here, Weir Vera shares a step-by-step recipe for yuca frita with a bright, acidic mojo sauce.