Cruzeiro do Sul hosts Festival da Farinha celebrating cassava

The Festival da Farinha in Cruzeiro do Sul featured various competitions celebrating regional cassava products. In the Best Cassava-Derived Dish contest, confectioner Pâmela Ariane Mello won a R$ 2,000 prize for her creation, ‘Essência de Mandioca’. The dish utilized cassava in every stage of preparation, including a cake and ice cream, and used the plant's stems and white peel for presentation.

Other competitions focused on agricultural production, including contests for the largest and heaviest cassava. Farmer José Nascimento, from the Final do Dia community, presented a specimen weighing 31.9 kg, which was the result of approximately two years of cultivation. Local officials noted that these events serve to value rural producers, family farming, and local gastronomic talent.