A question about traditionally compliant "breads" and "crackers"

[carloscuisine]

I have a cultural question about compliant "breads" and "crackers."  I am Latino and live in South Florida where there are a lot of Latino and Caribbean foods practically everywhere.  It is great because we have access to all sorts of different root vegetables that are tasty, nutritious, and satisfying.  

In many parts of tropical Latin America, before the Europeans arrived, native peoples made breads or bread-like foods out of cassava (also known as yucca, mandioca, manioc, or tapioca).  I love cassava, and I've had some of these products on occasion before starting Whole30, but now that I do not have the fallback of wheat crackers, flour tortillas, corn tortillas, and arepas, I am rediscovering some of these millennia-old foods that the native peoples consumed and that are still part of the diets of many Latin American countries.  One of these products is kassav or casabe, which is a flat, crisp bread made solely from cassava flour and water.  They are available at most supermarkets down here and are economically accessible.  Other things include  Brazilian tapioca flat breads made solely from cassava starch and water.

My question relates to whether these would be acceptable as I am not trying to recreate and approximate unhealthy foods but rather finding existing foods that have been a part of native diets for hundreds, if not thousands, of years to replace the more unhealthy foods I used to consume.  At the same time, I am also acquainting myself with different cultures and their healthier approaches to cooking and eating, which has some positive social implications (I am not from a country where these foods are consumed).

Please take into account that the health issues found in many Latin American countries do not stem from these native foods but rather from the introduction of wheat, rice, sugar, dairy, lard, and much later the introduction of many processed foods.  Additionally, many places are trying to get local people enthusiastic about eating these foods again to combat issues of diabetes and obesity, as well as malnutrition.

I don't plan on making a kassav/casabe pizza or tapioca quesadillas.  I plan on having them occasionally among the rotation of healthy root veggies and starchy fruits like plantains, malanga, boniato, name, taro, and breadfruit. Things like pao de queijo, which really are a decadent, European-influenced treat made with milk, cheese, and tapioca flour, are definitely out of the question.  But these healthy, natural "breads?"

[SugarcubeOD]

HI There;

Here's the official answer from the Can I Have guide and it's very clear that using cassava to make bread/tortilla/cracker is called out as not allowed.

Quote

 

On the Whole30, Can I Have…
Almond Flour: Yes

Yes, you can have almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour, cassava flour and other non-grain-based flours, but it’s context-dependent. You can use it in place of breadcrumbs in your meatballs, to dredge a piece of chicken, or to thicken a sauce or stew.  You may not use it for Paleo baking—to make muffins, pancakes, bread, cupcakes, cookies, waffles, biscuits, tortillas, pizza crust, or anything of that nature. We call those recipes Sex With Your Pants On (SWYPO) foods, and they are expressly off-limits during your Whole30.

 

Afraid to say this is a no.

I understand the cultural traditions filter but beans and rice is also a cultural tradition and there is no leeway given for that.

It's only 30 days and then you're welcome to explore all those types of foods you have access to.