Manioc root, a staple food of Brazil's poor, is making its way into the country's upscale restaurants as top chefs focus on traditional foods from local sources. "The manioc is without a doubt Brazil’s most important patrimony, foodwise," said Joselito Motta, a scientist with Brazil’s Embrapa agriculture research agency. "But only now are we finally realizing what an important crop it is, and how great its potential for the future is."