HOW GARI IS PREPARED LOCALLY IN GHANA (WEST AFRICA).

In gari production, one of the key processes is fermentation, which removes hydrogen cyanide from cassava.

The science behind cyanide production in cassava (the basis of many of these foods) is of general interest, as is the fermentation of maize meal and locust bean to produce other foods.

Gari is a popular food made from cassava, a starchy root vegetable.

Its preparation involves several steps.

Gari can be enjoyed in various ways, such as soaking it in water to soften it before consumption or using it as an ingredient in dishes such as ‘gari fotor’ or ‘gari soakings’.

The procedures involved in gari production are:

Uprooting and Sorting the cassava tubers:

You need to critically observe the tubers and select good and healthy ones.
Certain cassava tuber roots may be damaged or decaying after harvesting, and sorting is very relevant.
Only healthy roots (free of rot or other damage) should be used in the processing phase.
So, the farmer goes to the farm sort and uproot healthy and mature cassava tubers ready to be processed

Cleaning and peeling cassava roots:

After the uprooting and sorting;
Cassava roots will be covered with soil and dirt when you harvest them freshly.
Therefore, you must peel it to remove the outer brown skin.
Then you wash the inner thick cream layer to eliminate stains and debris during the gari production process.
You must regularly inspect the water supplied for washing to ensure that it is not filthy or polluted.

Grating of the cassava:

Cassava grating is a phase where you reduce the cassava tuber into smaller particles to increase the surface area in eliminating a poisonous chemical called cyanide in order to make the root fit for human consumption.
They use locally made graters or automatic ones to mash the cassava to meet market and industry demands or needed texture for the gari production.

Cyanide Detoxification in Cassava:

Cassava (Manihot esculenta) contains chemicals called cyanogenic glycosides, which can release hydrogen cyanide (HCN) when the plant tissue is damaged.
To make cassava safe for consumption, you must break down glycosides to remove the hydrogen cyanide.

Process in Cyanide Detoxification

First, remove the cassava peel, which contains higher concentrations of cyanogenic glycosides.
Cut or grate the cassava to increase the surface area for more efficient detoxification.
Soak the cassava pieces in water for several hours to days.
This process allows water-soluble cyanogenic glycosides to leach out.
Allow natural fermentation during soaking, which helps break down cyanogenic glycosides through microbial activity.
Spread the soaked cassava pieces in the sun to dry.
Drying further reduces the cyanogenic glycoside content through enzymatic activity and evaporation of HCN.
Boil the cassava pieces to hydrolyse any remaining cyanogenic glycosides and volatilise hydrogen cyanide.

The de-watering (removal of water) and fermentation stages

This process is where the cyanide in the cassava mash is removed.
The amount of water in the mash is reduced using a hydraulic press.
After that, the bags are left to drain and ferment for a few days before being used again.
Fermentation involves the action of microorganisms like yeast, bacteria, and fungi that convert sugars into alcohol, acids, and other compounds.
It also involves enzymes, which play a crucial role in fermentation, catalyzing reactions that break down sugars, proteins, and fats.

De-watering process

Granulating:

Cassava mash is mechanically reduced in size, resulting in fine granules with a higher surface area, also known as grits.

Gari frying:

To get a dry and crispy texture, the grits are roasted or fried in a hot frying tray or pan.
Gari is typically white or cream in appearance, but it can be yellow if made with yellow cassava roots or fried in palm oil, both of which are abundant in vitamin A and a good source of energy.
After being roasted, they are stretched out on a high platform in the open air to cool and dry.

Sieving:

The Gari is sieved to remove coarse particles, and a standard-sized sieve is used to generate fine granules from the coarse particles once they have been separated.
The big grains are broken down into smaller pieces with the help of a grinder.

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Scientific principles underlying gari production

The production of gari involves several stages, each of which has underlying scientific principles.

The main stages are:

Harvesting cassava roots:

The scientific principles of plant biology and physiology come into play during this stage, as enzymes within the cassava roots initiate biochemical reactions that degrade complex carbohydrates into simpler sugars.

Grating:

The cassava roots are washed and grated into a pulp.
Physics principles of force and motion govern the grating process, as mechanical forces are applied to break down the cassava roots into smaller particles.

Fermentation:

The grated cassava pulp undergoes fermentation, where microorganisms such as lactic acid bacteria and yeast metabolise sugars present in the pulp.
This fermentation process involves biochemical reactions mediated by enzymes, resulting in the production of organic acids and gases.
The science of microbiology and biochemistry underlies this stage of gari production.

Dewatering:

The fermented cassava pulp is dewatered to remove excess moisture.
Physics principles of gravity and filtration are employed in this stage, as gravitational forces aid in separating the solid gari granules from the liquid phase.

Roasting:

Physics principles of heat transfer govern the roasting process, as thermal energy is transferred from the roasting equipment to the gari granules, leading to the evaporation of residual moisture and Maillard reactions that contribute to the characteristic flavour and colour of gari.

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HOW GARI IS PREPARED LOCALLY IN GHANA (WEST AFRICA)