Sweet Cassava Bread

Corn nourished the Central American Maya's; the Peruvian Inca's grew on potatoes, while in the Caribbean the Arawak's thrived on manioc, better known as Cassava. The Arawak Indians inhabited the Virgin Islands many hundreds of years before Columbus first voyaged to this part of the world. Traditionally, the Arawaks placed their hand-fashioned clay griddles over a fire, then poured the cassava meal on top. The heat slowly caramelized the cassava's natural sugars, gluing the bread together and giving it a golden brown color.

Yield:
6 servings

Nutrition:
254 calories, 4 grams fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol and 118 milligrams sodium per serving.

Ingredients:
2 cups finely grated cassava
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup dried shredded coconut
½ cup brown sugar

Method:
Mix the cassava and salt. Place in a damp kitchen towel or cloth and wring out all the liquid.
Spread half of the cassava meal in the bottom of a small iron frying pan or other heavy frying pan and pat down firmly. Cover with the coconut and the brown sugar. Add the rest of the cassava and pat down lightly. Bake in a 350° oven until lightly browned or about 20 minutes.