Tapioca

For other uses, see Tapioca (disambiguation).

Cassava root

Baked Tapioca dish from Kerala, India

Tapioca is a starch extracted from Cassava (Manihot esculenta). This species, native to the Amazon, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Philippines and most of the West Indies, is now cultivated worldwide and has many names, including cassava, manioc, aipim, bitter-cassava, boba, mandioca, macaxeira, manioca, tapioca plant, camote, yuca ˈjuːka) (not to be confused with yucca). In India, the term "Tapioca" is used to represent the root of the plant (Cassava), rather than the starch. In Vietnam, it is called bột năng. In Indonesia, it is called singkong. In the Philippines, it is called sago.

The name tapioca is derived from the word tipi'óka, the name for this starch in Tupí. This Tupí word refers to the process by which the starch is made edible. However, as the word moved out of Brazil it came to refer to similar preparations made with other esculents.

Tapioca is a staple food in some regions and is used worldwide as a thickening agent, mainly in foods. Tapioca is gluten-free, and almost completely protein-free. In Britain, the word tapioca often refers to a milk pudding thickened with arrowroot, while in Asia the sap of the sago palm is often part of its preparation.

Production

Tapioca kerala

Small, opaque pearl tapioca before soaking

Colored, translucent tapioca sticks

The cassava plant has either red or green branches with blue spindles on them. The root of the green-branched variant requires treatment to remove a toxin found in the plant. Konzo (also called mantakassa) is a paralytic disease associated with several weeks of almost exclusive consumption of insufficiently processed bitter cassava. The toxin found in the root of the red-branched variant is less harmful to humans than the green-branched variety. Therefore, the root of the red/purple-branched variant can be consumed directly.

Commercially, the starch is processed into several forms: powder, fine or coarse flakes or meal, rectangular sticks, and spherical "pearls". Pearls are the most widely available shape; sizes range from about 1 mm to 8 mm in diameter, with 2–3 mm being the most common.

Flakes, sticks, and pearls must be soaked well before cooking, to rehydrate them; they will easily absorb water equal to twice their volume, becoming leathery and swollen. All these products traditionally are white, but sticks and pearls may be colored. The oldest and most common color is brown, but pastel colors are now available. In all its forms, tapioca starch is opaque before cooking and becomes translucent when cooked.

Nigeria, Brazil, and Thailand are the world's largest producers of cassava. Thailand accounts for 60% of worldwide exports.

Uses

West Indies

Tapioca was used by the first inhabitants of the West Indies as a staple food from which they made main dishes such as pepper pot and also used it to make alcohol. It was also used to clean their teeth and to this day is used as a base in toothpaste. Currently it is still a very popular food in the islands, used as a provision cooked with meats or fish and in desserts such as cassava pone.

Asia

In various Asian countries such as China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Philippines, Malaysia, and Taiwan, tapioca pearls are used and can be mistaken for sago pearls, also known as sagudana or sabudana (Pearl Sago) also called "Sabba Akki" (ಕನ್ನಡ: ಸಬ್ಬಕ್ಕಿ) in Kannada. The pearls (sagudana or sabudana) are also used to make snacks.

India

Local words in India include: Hindi sābūdānā (literally, 'grains of sago'), સાબુદાણા (Sabudana) in Gujarati, Urdu sābūdānā (a variant of the preceding word), Malayalam kappa or maraccīni, Tamil maravaḷḷi kilanku, and Kannada sabakki(ಸಾಬಕ್ಕಿ). In Indian cuisine, the granular preparation of cassava starch, is known as sābūdānā'. It can also be used to thicken puddings.

Kerala

Tapioca is widely consumed in the state of Kerala. It is either boiled or cooked with spices. Tapioca with fish curry (especially Sardine) is a delicacy in Kerala. Thinly sliced tapioca wafers, similar to potato chips, are popular too. Cassava, often referred to as tapioca in English, is called Kappa (കപ്പ) Kizhangu or Poola (in northern Kerala) or Maracheeni or Cheeni or Kolli in Malayalam. Tapioca is regarded as a staple food of the common man in Kerala.

Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra

Tapioca is also available in ఆంథ్రప్రదేశ్ and coastal regions and is called "Karrapendalam" "కర్రపెండలము" in Telugu. સાબુદાણા (Sabudana) in Gujarati. Cassava is called "కంద" or "పెండలము" in Telugu. In Kannada, the actual cassava is called kolli or mara genasu. In Telugu, in other regions of Andhra its by product is also known as "సగ్గు బియ్యము". The tapioca pearls are known as "Sabu dana" in Marathi. It is commonly used as a Khichdi preparation during fasting, popularly called Sabudana Khichadi, among Hindus in Western and Central part of India (Gujarat and Maharashtra region). Sabudana vada is common in Maharashtrian cuisine as well.

Tamil Nadu

Tapioca Plant in early stage

Tapioca Plant in full maturity

In Tamil, the roots of tapioca are called kuchikezhangu or kappakezhangu, and are used to prepare chips. Tapioca chips are also prepared in parts of South India.

In Tamil Nadu, tapioca is cultivated more in the districts of Erode, Namakkal and Salem. In Tamil Nadu, there are many tapioca processing units called "sago factories". A large number of tapioca industries are found in Attur Taluk, Salem District. Salem City has a marketing center for the sago (known as javvarisi).

In these factories, the Sabudana (Hindi) / Javvarisi (Tamil) is produced and distributed throughout India and exported to different countries.

The cultivation of tapioca is manpower intensive only at the time of plantation and harvest. It provides a steady income to the farmers. Tapioca called maravallikilangu can be consumed raw (after removing the skins/outer cover). It can also be boiled and different dishes like Uppuma (Tamil) can be made. It can also be made into chips to use as snacks during tea time.

Northern India

During the festival season in Northern India, Sabudana is usually consumed during Fasts (Vrat in Hindi), either prepared as a "Khichdi" (savory) Sabudana Khichadi or Kheer (sweet). In the Holi (festival), the most popular is Sabudana papad (fried in Desi ghee).

Tapioca is also referred to as "Poor Man's Food".

North-eastern India

In Nagaland in North-eastern India, tapioca is eaten as a snack. It is usually boiled with a bit of salt in water after skinning it or snacks are made out of it by drying the tapioca after cutting it. It is then powdered into flour and turned into dough to either make a fired or baked biscuit. In their local dialect they call it kuri aloo, meaning "wood potato". They are eaten by all groups of society as a delicacy. The skin of the tapioca, which is not edible for humans, is kept aside to prepare a food for domesticated pigs.

Sri Lanka

It is known as "Mangnokka" in Sri Lanka and Mauritius also by its Sinhalese and Tamil names, generally eaten boiled with a chili onion mixture called "Lunu Miris Sambol" (type of a salsa) or coconut sambol. At the same time, it is very popular to have tapioca pearls, prepared as a delicacy. In early days, tapioca pearls were used to starch clothes by boiling tapioca pearls with the clothes.

Southeast Asia

Tapioca chips, baked in sand

In Southeast Asia, the cassava root is commonly cut into slices, wedges or strips, fried, and served as a snack, similar to potato chips, wedges or french fries. Another method is to boil large blocks until soft, and serve them with grated coconut as a dessert, either slightly salted or sweetened, usually with palm sugar syrup.

Tapai is made by fermenting large blocks with a yeast-like bacteria culture to produce a sweet and slightly alcoholic dessert. A variation of the chips popular amongst the Malays is kerepek pedas, where the crisps are coated with a hot, sweet and tangy chili and onion paste, or sambal, usually with fried anchovies and peanuts added.

Krupuk, or crackers, is a major use of tapioca starch in Indonesia.

Commercially prepared tapioca has many uses. Tapioca powder is commonly used as a thickener for soups and other liquid foods, and is also used as a binder in pharmaceutical tablets and natural paints. The flour is used to make tender breads, cakes, biscuits, cookies, and other delicacies (see also Maida flour). Tapioca flakes are used to thicken the filling of pies made with fruits having a high water content.

A typical recipe for tapioca jelly can be made by washing 2 tablespoonfuls of tapioca, pouring a pint of water over it, and soaking for three hours. It is then placed over low heat and simmered until quite clear. If too thick, a little boiling water can be added. It can be sweetened with white sugar, flavored with coconut milk or a little wine, and eaten alone or with cream.

Tapioca cracker from Indonesia sold in a Los Angeles, California, market

Europe

United Kingdom

The popular savory snack Skips is made of tapioca and flavored like prawn cocktail as well as other flavors.

Tapioca is also widely available in its dried forms and is used to make tapioca pudding.

Americas

Brazil and South America

In Brazilian cuisine, tapioca is used for different types of meals. In biju (or beiju), the tapioca is moistened, strained through a sieve to become a coarse flour, then sprinkled onto a hot griddle or pan, where the heat makes the starchy grains fuse into a tortilla, which is often sprinkled with coconut. Then it may be buttered and eaten as a toast (its most common use as a breakfast dish), or it may be filled or topped with either doces (sweet) or salgados (savory) ingredients, which define the kind of meal the tapioca is used for: breakfast, afternoon tea or dessert. Choices range from butter, cheese, chocolate, bananas with condensed milk, chocolate with bananas, to various forms of meats and served warm. A traditional dessert called sagu is also made from pearl tapioca cooked with cinnamon and cloves in red wine. A restaurant which specializes in tapioca-based dishes (mostly fillings) is called in Brazil a tapiocaria. In southern Brazil, tapioca is almost unknown. In Colombia and Venezuela, arepas may be made with tapioca flour rather than cornmeal. Tapioca arepas probably predate cornmeal arepas; among traditional cultures of the Caribbean the name for them is casabe. In Peru, tapioca is known as yuca and is eaten mostly boiled as a side dish in the Amazon and fried with Papa a la Huancaina sauce as a snack when drinking alcohol.

Tapioca pudding

United States

While frequently associated with Tapioca pudding, a dessert in the United States, tapioca is also used in other courses. Bubble tea is gaining popularity in cities with large Asian populations. People on gluten-free diets can eat bread made with tapioca flour (although people on gluten-free diets have to be careful because some tapioca flour has wheat added into it). Tapioca is also used as an ingredient in Daiya brand cheese substitute.

Africa

Ghana

Tapioca appears to have been eaten in Ghana since pre-colonial times. Viewed as the everyday-man's meal, it is usually taken for breakfast. The various tribes employ it in multiple dishes.

During World War II

During World War II's Japanese occupation of Southeast Asia, many refugees survived on tapioca, as the plant is easily propagated by stem-cutting, grows well in low-nutrient soils, and can be harvested every two months. (However, to grow to full maturity, it takes 10 months). The plant thus provided much needed carbohydrate and protein.

Flatbreads/casabe/cassava bread

A casabe is a thin flatbread made from bitter cassava root without leavening. It was originally produced by the Native American Arawak and Carib nations because these roots were a very common plant of the rain forests where they lived. In eastern Venezuela many Native American ethnic groups still make casabe and it remains their main bread-like food. Native American communities including the Ye-Kuana, Kari-Ña, Yanomami, Guarao or Warao are from either the Caribe or Arawac Nations and still make casabe.

Casabe baking in a small commercial bakery

To make casabe, the starchy root of bitter cassava is ground to a pulp, then squeezed to expel a milky, bitter liquid called yare which carries the poisonous substances with it out of the pulp. Traditionally, this squeezing is done in a sebucan, an 8 to 12-foot (3.7 m) long tube-shaped pressure strainer woven in a characteristic helical pattern from palm leaves. The sebucan usually is hung from a tree branch or ceiling pole, and it has a closed bottom with a loop that is attached to a fixed stick or lever, which is used to stretch the sebucan. When the lever is pushed down, stretching the sebucan, the helical weaving pattern causes the strainer to squeeze the pulp inside. This is similar to the action of a Chinese finger trap. The pulp is then spread in thin, round cakes about 2 feet (0.61 m) in diameter on a budare' to roast or toast.

Thin and crisp cakes of casabe are often broken apart and eaten like crackers. Like bread, casabe can be eaten alone or with other dishes. Thicker casabe usually are eaten slightly moistened. Just a subtle sprinkle of a few drops of liquid is enough to transform a very dry casabe into a very soft and smooth bread very similar to the softest slice of a wheat bread loaf, an incredible change in texture. Because of its capacity to absorb liquid immediately, casabe may cause someone to choke, but goes down quickly with a sip of liquid.

In Guyana, the casabe is simply called cassava bread. It is prepared with an instrument called a matape by the natives of the Rupununi Savanah and other areas of the country that have a high concentration of Amerinidians. In Jamaica, it is called bammy. In Brazil, it is called beiju or tapioca.

Pearl tapioca

Honeydew bubble tea with pearl tapioca

Pearl tapioca is also known as boba to some cultures. It is produced by passing the moist starch through a sieve under pressure. Pearl tapioca is a common ingredient in Asian desserts such as kolak, in tapioca pudding, and in sweet drinks such as bubble tea, fruit slush and taho, where they provide a chewy contrast to the sweetness and texture of the drink. Small pearls are preferred for use in puddings; large pearls are preferred for use in drinks. These large pearls most often are brown, not white (and traditionally are used in black or green tea drinks), but are available in a wide variety of pastel colors. Not only are they used in the aforementioned drinks, they are also available as an option in shave ice and hot drinks.

Biodegradable bags

Tapioca root can also be used to manufacture biodegradable plastic bags. A polymer resin produced from the plant is a viable plastic substitute that is not only biodegradable, but can be composted, is renewable, and is recyclable. The product reverts in less than one year, versus thousands of years for traditional plastics.

Nutritional value

Tapioca is predominantly carbohydrate, with each cup containing 135 grams for a total of 544 calories, low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. Vitamin B9, folate is present in the amount of 6.1 mcg, along with iron 2.4 mg and calcium 30.4 mg. One cup of tapioca also includes 1.5 mg of omega-3 acids, 3 mg of omega-6 fatty acids and 1 gram of dietary fiber.

See also

• Cassava
• Pan de yuca
• Tapioca pudding
• Sago
• Bubble tea

References

• Sosa, C. (1979), Casabe, Editorial Arte: Caracas.

External links

• What is Boba?
• Authentic Asian Tapioca Recipes
• Sabudana kheer
• Sabudana kichedi
• Tapioca nearly sinks Swiss freighter in 1972
• Casabe: Garífuna Yucca Bread shows traditional preparation of cassava into casabe.