Casabe: The Bread of the Indians

Do you like casabe?


  • Total voters
    35

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
13,368
3,150
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How many DR1ers enjoy eating casabe?

Something tells me this bread, originally made by the Taino indians from the yuca (native to the American continent), is probably not too popular with foreigners.

I personally think it tastes good, but the few people that asked me what it tastes like, I couldn't find the words because 'like casabe' doesn't gets to the point.

For those that like casabe, how do you like to eat? Where do you think the best casabe is made/sold.

Back in the 1490's Spanish were the first to take casabe outside of America, specifically from the island of Santo Domingo, and introduced it to Europe, albeit it didn't caught on as other American produce did such as tomatoes or potatoes. With time casabe was introduced in other areas of the world and is now widely consumed in many places of Africa and Asia.

casabe-111.jpg


cassava-bread.jpg


Dominicans making casabe as the Taino indians did it for thousands of years on this very soil:

[video=youtube;WLnm1Eh1zh0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLnm1Eh1zh0[/video]
 

Marcion

*** Sin Bin ***
Nov 22, 2014
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It's...different. It tastes like a survival food but it's not massively terrible with bleu cheese. Caribbean version of hardtack?
 

bob saunders

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
32,503
5,930
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dr1.com
I buy it off an old lady that passes by my MIL's place. There are a few sellers but according to Melania this lady has the best and the cleanest. I like to eat it with Avocado or cheese, and I like to dip it in my coffee. I don't mind the garlic or sweet versions but prefer the regular no-commercial rough stuff. Great with feta cheese with olive oil and herbs.
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
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Try it toasted with olive oil, garlic and oregano as a snack or to accompany cream of auyama soup. It is also good toasted with olive oil and grated parmesan, or with mamb? (spicy peanut butter) as well as with dips like guacamole, hummus, etc.

A visit to the casabe producers in Monci?n is a memorable off-the-beaten-path trip
Casabe

And if anyone wants to try making it:
Casabe (Cassava Bread) Recipe
 

bronzeallspice

Live everyday like it's your last
Mar 26, 2012
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I like mine served with crispy chicharron and break off pieces and add to habichuelas con dulce.:lick:
 

ddoran

Member
Apr 23, 2006
164
4
18
casabe con mamba'

having served as a peace corps volunter in Moncion, the "capital" of casabe, from 1979-81 the best casabe is to be eaten warmed
with mamba (northern word in the DR for peanut butter) from Dajabon spread on top
yum
 

wrecksum

Bronze
Sep 27, 2010
2,063
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I think it tastes like the cardboard paper it was delivered in...........

(Although maybe the cardboard tastes better.)
 

malko

Campesino !! :)
Jan 12, 2013
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#1. A colmado can only call itself colmado if it sells casabe normal AND garlic casabe.

#2. For a good puerco asado, side dishes will be green salad with chunky salsa sauce and insalata mista, ie eggs, potatoes, tomatoes.....
AND the 2 sorts of casabe.

In this country of soggy, sugary, soft bread....... casabe is my glitter of hope as a replacement.......

And for the die-hards/ZombieApocalypseSurvivors, try making it urself ( I misearbly failed......).
 
May 29, 2006
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Yucca boiled to me is goat food, but I wouldn't mind trying it as a flat bread with some cooked goat on it...
 

Olly

Bronze
Mar 12, 2007
1,914
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There is one other aspect of Casabe that is often missed -it is gluten free and wheat free. To many people this is a great advantage.

Olly
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
first of all, please, do not call it bread, it's an offence.

i like casabe. usually i brush it with olive oil and put in the oven for few minutes. miesposo puts cheese slices so they can melt. the best i tried was in san jose de las matas. there are numerous small houses along the road where you can see it being made and buy it.
 

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
13,368
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I think it tastes like the cardboard paper it was delivered in...........

(Although maybe the cardboard tastes better.)
I'm actually shocked so many foreigners like casabe. I was expecting most to say that it tastes like cardboard too. LOL
 

bronzeallspice

Live everyday like it's your last
Mar 26, 2012
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Some years ago I brought quite a bit of casabe from the DR and gave some to try to my co workers.
They loved it! Spread with butter. They requested that I bring back some more for them on my trips
to the DR.
 

Marcion

*** Sin Bin ***
Nov 22, 2014
839
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With bread prices being hijacked, casabe is poised to make a big comeback.

And because of its innate crunchiness it's good for your teeth.
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
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South Coast
I don't like it at all - yep, cardboard to me. Mr. AE loves it, usually a ziplock bag in the kitchen with some at any given time.

The really amazing thing is that our Irish daughter-in-law absolutely loves it. It's readily available in NJ in plain and garlic, but nothing else. Every year we visit a friend in Moncion for a few days, and stop at the same place to fill up the suitcase with Coco and Peanut Butter cassava, bought a bunch last week.
 

Marcion

*** Sin Bin ***
Nov 22, 2014
839
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Casabe is not cheap, though.

Relatively speaking re: bread, no.

Which is why the National Casabe Council, or whatever casabe trade umbrella group name they use needs to step to the plate and do some branding.

Have the DR government create a "National Casabe Day" and do tie-ins with local media outlets. "Casabe -- for that special night..."

Branding, people.
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
982
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Back in the 1490's Spanish were the first to take casabe outside of America, specifically from the island of Santo Domingo, and introduced it to Europe, albeit it didn't caught on as other American produce did such as tomatoes or potatoes. With time casabe was introduced in other areas of the world and is now widely consumed in many places of Africa and Asia.
In the OP, this last paragraph refers to cassava the root vegetable (Manihot esculenta, yuca in Spanish, other names in English are Brazilian arrowroot, manioc and tapioca), not to casabe bread.

Cassava - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia