Maths Teaser

So What Was It??????

It’s a cassava squeezer!

Cassava is a root, which is poisonous in its raw state, but after boiling and pounding it’s safe to eat and is a staple food in some parts of Africa.

Having been boiled and pounded to a mush it is then poured into the top of this device, which sags and expands under the weight. With a big toe in the loop at the bottom, pulling on the loop at the top squeezes the contents so that the water is expelled through the woven grass fabric. Several squeezes will render the cassava mush a useful consistency, and it can then be eaten or dried to use later.

It’s a very clever, very useful piece of engineering, and “green” to boot.