Zamia: preparation in the Carribean

Taino processing of Guayiga

In the past Guayiga was prepared by grating the root to produce a dough, which is sundried 2-3 days whilst it becomes covered with larvae and goes from white to black. The dough is cooked to make tortillas. If it isn't wormy and black with fungus the dough still contains the cycad poisons and can be lethal.

To make Chola

Chola is made by peeling and grating the roots, washed with water to remove starch. Starch is then mixed over slow fire and poured over dry starch while coconut and salt are added. It is formed into loaves and baked.This modern preparation has similarities with the Taino methods but leaves out the sun-drying and rotting steps. The old and new methods may have diverged when the Europeans arrived and brought new processing methods with them.