Public Radio for the Central Kenai Peninsula

High Demand For Yucca In Venezuela Leads To Sometimes Fatal Results

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Food shortages in Venezuela have led to a spike in the consumption of yucca, an inexpensive starchy root. But there's a sweet variety and a toxic, bitter version of the root vegetable.

As reporter John Otis (@JohnOtis) found, some Venezuelans are mistakenly eating the poisonous yucca and dying.

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