Now that's funny.* In Brazil cassava (manioc) is more commonly called mandioca. Gari is the West African (Yoruba? Nigeria?) name for it, though there are so many descendants of slaves in Brazil it doesn't surprise me that the word is still in use there. Anyway, it's a root vegetable that's ground up into a flour then mixed with water and boiled to make a grits-like paste. It's not really disgusting, I don't think, just sort of tasteless (to me). It's a staple for many people: a hardy tuber, it can be left in the ground for many months after ripening, so there's a sort of built-in protection against famine for a season.

Will wonders never cease? I'm contributing to a food thread!!

~~~~~
*funny peculiar, not funny ha-ha