Manioc (also known as cassava) is native to South America but is also found in Sub-Saharan Africa. The plant’s root is an important source of carbohydrates in the diets of populations in tropical regions. In the Latin America area of the Marketplace, you will find an exhibition area entirely devoted to this important crop, with several stands and opportunities to taste. Here are two of a number of manioc recipes that nutritionist, journalist and an expert of traditional Brazilian gastronomy, Neide Rigo, will present at the “Terra Madre Network: A Thousand Ways to Say Manioc” Taste Workshop.
Manioc Breadsticks (Palitos de mandioca) 
Makes around 80 breadsticks
500 g sweet manioc starch (polvilho doce)
500 g boiled manioc
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp.
salt
2 small eggs
butter to grease the baking tray
sesame seeds (white or black) dry chilies, rosemary, dry oregano, salt grains, fennel seeds, grated Parmesan cheese (to sprinkle on the breadsticks)
Boil the manioc and mash it in a food mill while it is still hot. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the manioc starch, mixing thoroughly until the mash resembles wet sand. Boil the milk and add it to the mix along with the butter, sugar and salt. Work with a spoon until the dough is lukewarm (if its too hot, it will cook the eggs), then slowly add the beaten eggs and knead with your hands. Leave to rest in the fridge for a 1/2 hour. In the meantime, Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC and grease 20 cm-wide shallow baking trays (if you use silicone baking trays, there is no need to grease them). Take about 25 g of dough and – on a dry working surface – roll it to form a 1 cm diameter breadstick. Sprinkle the working surface with the desired seasoning and roll the breadsticks over it until it sticks to the surface. Alternatively, put the breadsticks in the baking trays, brush them with a little beaten egg yolk and then sprinkle with the desired seasoning. Place in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes or until the breadsticks are golden. Serve hot or, to keep or transport, wait until they have cooled before packing them.
Manioc Bread with Curcuma (Pão de aipim com cúrcuma) )
Makes three to four loaves
30 g fresh yeast or 10 g (1 tbsp.) dry active yeast
1 ½ cup water (360 ml)
500 g boiled manioc (well cooked, central woody cordon removed)
2 tsp. salt 1 ½ tbsp. sugar
Around 800 g white wheat flour (quantity can vary depending on how wet the manioc is)
1 egg 2 tbsp. fresh grated curcuma or 2 tsp. curcuma powder
100 g butter at room temperature
Dissolve the yeast in a little water and put it in a blender with the remaining water, the manioc, salt and sugar. Blend until you obtain a smooth mixture. Pour into a bowl and add half of the flour and mix with a spoon, the eggs and the curcuma and mix well. Sieve the remaining flour, slowly mixing in. When the dough begins to become firmer, add the butter and knead with your hands until you obtain a smooth, elastic dough, which easily comes off your hands. Cover the dough and leave it to rise until it doubles in volume. To test, take a small ball of dough and place it in a glass of water at .
temperature. When it rises to the surface, it is ready. Split the dough into three or four parts and mold into a round or long shape. Place them on a greased and floured tray, leaving some space between them. Leave to rise for a further 30 minutes or until the dough has doubled in volume. Meanwhile pre-heat the oven to 280 ºC. Sprinkle the dough parts with flour, make a few incisions with a sharp knife and put in the oven. After 10 minutes, lower the temperature to 230 ºC and bake for another 50 minutes. The bread is ready when they are a golden brown color.