Cassareep

A thick, aromatic flavouring syrup made from the juice of the bitter cassava. It is used as a basis for various sauces and as a culinary flavoring and preservative agent in Guyana Pepper Pot. It is exported chiefly from Guyana. The main Amerindian tribes of the Caribbean were the Carib (from whom the region takes it's name) and the Arawaks. My grandmother was part Carib. The Caribs were themselves displaced by the Europeans, and were eventually all but exterminated during the colonial period. However small numbers remain today in Guyana, Honduras, Belize and in the islands of Dominica, Saint Vincent, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad. http://www.guyanaundersiege.com/Amerindian/Amerindian%20Corner.htm shows a picture of a matapee, which is a traditional woven basket used to squeeze the juice from the cassava.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 2 cups

Ingredients

• 4  lbs  bitter cassava
• 1  inch  piece cinnamon stick
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 4  teaspoons dark brown sugar

Directions

1. Peel, wash and grate the cassava. Place one cup of shredded cassava in a clean dish towel(cheese cloth or matapee) and twist, squeezing over a large saucepan to extract as much liquid as possible.
2. The amount of liquid in the cassava may vary according to the age and quality of the roots available.
3. WARNING: you do not want to use this liquid without cooking it as it is poisonous. Cooking destroys the poison.
4. The remaining cassava meal can be reserved for making tapioca, cassava bread or cassava pone (Recipe #192540).
5. Combine the liquid in a saucepan with cinnamon, cloves and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer slowly, stirring occasionally, until liquid becomes a thick syrup. (just before like a molasses-like consistency).
6. Store in a tightly sealed glass container. (Keeps for up to 3 weeks).