Originating in Central and South America, cassava spread rapidly and arrived on the west coast of Africa via the Gulf of Benin and the River Congo at the end of the 16th Century and on the east coast via the Reunion Island, Madagascar, and Zanzibar at the end of the 18th Century.

The crop then spread inland from both sides. By the early 1800s cassava arrived in India, but controlled breeding did not begin until the 1920s. Farina is the coarsely ground endosperm of hard wheat and was the first genuine flour before milling stones.

In Bermuda, cassava pie is practically revered at Christmastime, and is as much a staple of our celebrations as the tree, but like all traditional fare there is really no ?original? recipe any more. There may have been once, but with recipes passed down from one generation to another, variations in the mixture certainly occur. Grandma may have laced hers with nutmeg, while her daughter goes easy on the spice and adds extra sugar. Some like a moist, soft texture, while others prefer a rock-solid texture.

Some folk prefer farina pie, which is similar in taste and, for some, an easier recipe to make.

Where once a mixture of pork, beef and chicken were the norm, today it can be all of one, or a mixture of two. Some bury the filling in the centre with cassava top, bottom and sides, while others mix the meat and/or poultry into the cassava. At least with the latter method, the problem of the meat filling disintegrating under a fork?s pressure, with cassava ricocheting off the plate into aunt Sally?s lap is eliminated.

For those who have never made cassava pie, or who would like to try a different recipe this year, the following are taken from Bermuda cookbooks. Today is the day to buy and thaw the cassava, and pre-prepare the filling, so that all you have to do tomorrow is put it all together ? for that is part of the tradition too: making it fresh for Christmas Day and filling the house with its heavenly aroma.

Bon appetit!