The Fugue

On my mission in Connecticut among the Spanish-speaking peoples of the world, I had many a serving of yuca. Yuca is a delicious tuberous root that most of my peers hated. Many times I tried to ask my hosts if what they were serving was the same thing as yucca, the state "flower" of New Mexico that grows everywhere. I was no stranger to the above-ground part of yucca but I had never heard of anyone eating its roots before. Due to the language barrier, and I suspect the fact that many of these people have probably never seen yucca, I never really did find out.

Fast forward. I live in New Mexico again, and when I go to the grocery store they are selling yuca root in the produce section, labeled as yucca. So for at least a year now I've been thinking it must be the same thing, although probably a specific variety is good for eating. Today I decided to find out once and for all. I have learned many things. First, yuca is not yucca (and vice versa). They are botanically unrelated. Yuca is otherwise known as cassava or manioc. Yucca is otherwise known as that pointy thing in the back yard. Some varieties of yucca have edible parts, but yuca is the plant that anyone talking about eating "yucca" is likely to be referring to. Yuca is the basis of tapioca and is a staple food in many places around the world, but very few Americans have ever heard of it (aside from tapioca) and probably wouldn't like it anyway. But it really is good. I'm going to try some recipes and I'll post when I find one I like.

So let's review. This is yucca:

It is the state flower of New Mexico, it grows all over the place in the southwest desert, some varieties can grow fast enough to stay on top of the moving gypsum dunes at White Sands (but hasn't figured out the descent part - so usually collapses under its own weight when the dune moves on). I like yucca, it's a nice plant. Genus Yucca, family Agavaceae. Rhymes with yuck-a (as in, you don't usually eat it).

This is yuca:

AKA cassava or manioc, the root is a staple food and the basis of tapioca, has cyanide traces when uncooked, grows in the tropics (originally from South America). Genus Manihot, family Euphorbiaceae. Rhymes with nuke-a (as in, packed with flavor. Almost).

Why the confusion? My dictionary says the origin of Yucca is from the 16th century in the Caribbean, denoting cassava. So somebody took the word yuca and mistakenly applied it to the yucca plant (probably a variety that looked somewhat like yuca). So there's a long history of confusion. Don't you be confused no more. If anyone misuses the two terms, be sure to set them straight.