For Cubans, the healthiest food of all is the malanga. If you have stomach problems or if you need to feed a newborn you use the miraculous malanga puree. No one would want to use potatoes or rice if they can get a good malanga in their hands. Since I moved to Toronto I have mentioned the nutritious malanga in several occasions, to people with babies in particular, and no one seemed to have ever heard of it.

I thought that maybe in South America the “vianda” goes by another name and it is sold to the Latin community in Toronto under a different name or, like yucca, it is a product that is not popular in Canada at all.

Yesterday I went to a Chinese market in the North York area of  Toronto and found Malanga! I was so happy and surprised that I started joking about how now I can have children in Canada. 😉

A few questions remain: Do Chinese use malanga in their cuisine? Do other countries call it malanga too?

I am sure that a Cuban or two are preparing malanga during these holidays. Those who choose to eat healthy for Christmas will probably slice it and boil it like a potato but a lot of Cubans will prepare “fritura de malanga”(fritters) as a side dish.