From cassava to gari: mapping of quality characteristics and end‐user preferences in Cameroon and Nigeria

Abstract

User's preferences of cassava and cassava products along the value chain are supported by specific root quality characteristics that can be linked to root traits. Therefore, providing an evidence base of user preferred characteristics along the value chain can help in the functional choice of cassava varieties. In this respect, the present paper presents the results from focus group discussions and individual interviews on user preferred quality characteristics of raw cassava roots and the derived product, gari,one of the major cassava products in Sub-Saharan Africain major production and consumption areas of Cameroon and Nigeria. Choice of cassava varieties for farming is mainly determined by the multiple end uses of the roots, their agricultural yield and the processing determinants of roots that support their major highquality characteristics: size, density, low water content, maturity, colour and safety. Processing of cassava roots into gari goes through different technological variants leading to a gari whose high-quality characteristics are dryness, colour, shiny/attractive appearance, uniform granules and taste. Eba, the major consumption form of gari in Cameroon and Nigeria, is mainly characterised by its textural properties: smoothness, firmness, stickiness, elasticity and mouldability. Recommendations are made, suggesting that breeding will have to start evaluating cassava clones for brightness/shininess, as well as textural properties such as mouldability and elasticity of cassava food products, for the purpose of supporting decision-making by breeders and the development of high-throughput selection methods of cassava varieties. Women are identified as important beneficiaries of such initiatives giving their disadvantaged position and their prominent role in cassava processing and marketing of gari.

Understanding cassava varietal preferences through pairwise ranking of gari‐eba and fufu prepared by local farmer–processors

“…Cassava roots with high fibre content are typically less suitable for gari production (Mkumbira et al ., 2007). Overall, user preferences indicate that a good quality root for gari and fufu production was harvested at maturity, is medium to large in size, has high density and low water content, has a white bright colour, has smooth outer skin, and is not rotten and does not have foamy parts inside (Chijioke et al ., 2020; Ndjouenkeu et al ., 2020).…”

“…Recent research on user preferences of gari in Nigeria and Cameroon show that the main quality aspects of a good gari are as follows: dry, white, shiny/attractive appearance, sourness or sweetness according to local tastes, heavy (dense) and uniform granule size. A good eba is characterised as smooth, firm, sticky, elastic, mouldable and having good swelling of the gari during preparation of eba (Ndjouenkeu et al ., 2020). A good fufu paste is associated with softness, shiny cream colour (Tomlins et al ., 2007), well mouldable into balls, only a little sticky, stretchable and bland or distinct fermented odour depending on local preferences (Béchoff et al ., 2018).…”

“…For gari and fufu, colour, brightness and appearance are by far the most important indicators of quality. In addition, for fufu, preservability and for fufu and eba textural properties such as firmness (cohesiveness), mouldability, stretchability (elasticity) and softness are very important and preferred at different levels depending on the region, culture and personal preferences (Béchoff et al ., 2018; Adinsi et al ., 2019; Ndjouenkeu et al ., 2020). One major overall characteristic that appears important for eba and fufu is the swelling of the food product when prepared.…”

“…Although water absorption is considered an important property for most starchy foods and a function of smaller granule size resulting in higher solubility (Tian et al ., 1991; Udoro et al ., 2014) higher WAC values for gari seem to be non‐preferred and possibly an indication of lack of the desired firmness: Gari granules are expected to keep some resistance in the mouth when chewed (Ndjouenkeu et al ., 2020), which can also be related to increased solubility, thereby creating a lack of the preferred mouldable texture of eba.…”

Fifty years of a public cassava breeding program: evolution of breeding objectives, methods, and decision-making processes

“…fr) is an ambitious initiative to elucidate basic information regarding root quality traits. Several research articles regarding root quality traits and post-harvest processing have recently been published (Alamu et al 2021;Bechoff et al 2018;Dufour et al 2021;Escobar et al 2021;Goddard et al 2015;Iragaba et al 2021;Luna et al 2021;Ndjouenkeu et al 2021;Teeken et al 2018Teeken et al , 2021Thiele et al 2021;Tran et al 2021). The availability of this critical knowledge and reliable high-throughput phenotyping protocols will improve the efficiency of breeding for root quality traits.…”