Chapter 7 - Traditional Foods From Tropical Root and Tuber Crops: Innovations and Challenges

Abstract

Tropical root and tuber crops (TRCs) are found in a wide variety of production systems and used as staple food in many underdeveloped and developing countries of the world. TRCs are a pertinent source of food security since they are climatic resilient and can grow on less productive and marginal lands. In addition, productivity is higher in comparison with cereals and horticultural crops, constituting a source of income for farmers. The traditional foods from TRCs are indigenous and consumed in several parts of Africa, Asia, and in Latin America. Most of the traditional fermented food products (gari, fufu, agbelima, etc.) are functional foods rich in phytochemicals/bioactive, anti-oxidant, and probiotic components. Lactic acid bacteria and yeasts are the major group of probiotic/microorganisms associated with TRCs’ fermentation with several health benefits. Traditional foods from TRCs will spur rural industrial development and raise income for producers, processors, and traders.