Yuca

Yuca is a root and a type of vegetable they use in Costa Rica for example to make a pastel de yuca. On the outside it is brown, but on the inside nearly white. Raw it is very hard, therefore you can only eat it cooked.

To make the pastel de yuca they make something similar to smashed potatoes out of yuca. Then they put different layers of the puree and minced meet and on top a bit of cheese. The yuca is one of my favorite vegetables here.