Cassava is a staple food for 500 million people, but parts of the plant are toxic (Emmanuel Osodi/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The World Health Organisation estimates that cassava poisoning kills about 200 people a year, so while it may be along the ‘world’s deadliest’ foods, the number of people who eat it regularly and are fine is very high indeed.
That’s because human beings are pretty clever, if we’re allowed to pat ourselves on the back a bit here, and have learned how to prepare certain foods that would otherwise pose a health risk to us.
There are chefs who train to prepare an incredibly poisonous fish that would make for a deadly delicacy if not prepared by expert hands and we’ve learned how to lower the risk of being killed by cassava.
