Cassava has many names across many continents. The English word is cassava, but in South American in the area around Brazil it is called madioca. In Africa where French is spoken it is called manioc. In Spanish-speaking countries it is called yuca. Here in Asia we call it tapioca.
The origins of cassava are many, but the principle origin is in the hot areas of the American continents, especially in South America. Countries such as Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, and Honduras planted cassava for three to five thousand years before the plant was distributed across the Americas and elsewhere. In the 15th century, slave traders and the Portuguese brought cassava to the African continent.
Cassava reached Asia around the 17th century, when the Spanish brought it from Mexico to plant in the Philippines. In the 18th century, the Dutch brought cassava to Indonesia.
