ABSTRACT
In some countries in South America, such as Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia and Colombia, cassava fermentation is very popular where cassava sour starch is used to make salt and sweet biscuits (Dufour et al., 1996; Mestres et al., 1996) and high swelling breads (Escouto and Cereda, 2000). The unusual baking expansion property of cassava sour starch (Boungou, 1995) results from the combined action of lactic acid and sun drying (Mestres and Rouau, 1997; Demiate et al., 2000a, b). In Brazil alone, annual consumption of fermented starch, locally called “polvilho azedo”, is nearly 50,000 tons per year (Chuzel et al., 1995a, b; Demiate et al., 2000b). Further, in addition to starch, flour and traditional food products, Amerindians have practised making alcohol from fermented and distilled cassava for many years (Dufour, 1994).
