Tapioca is starch obtained from the root of cassava, a plant that mostly grows underground (like a potato). In many parts of the world, it’s a food staple. Cassava is a native vegetable of South America and grows in tropical and subtropical regions.
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Your dentist will appreciate tomorrow’s Wonder of the Day!
Are you hungry yet? Be sure to take a taste of the following activities with a friend or family member:
- Tasty tapioca pudding is probably the food most people associate with tapioca. Head over to the Food Network website to check out Alton Browns Tapioca Pudding recipe. What do you think? Do you like tapioca pudding? Does it taste like you thought it would?
- Another tapioca treat thats starting to become very popular in the U.S., especially in areas with large Asian populations, is bubble tea. Never heard of bubble tea? Just go online to learn How to Make Bubble Tea. You never know. It might be your new favorite!
- Since tapioca tends not to have much flavor of its own, you might want to try a recipe that adds in some other strong flavors. Ask a friend or family member to help you make a homemade batch of Coconut Tapioca with Pineapple, Mago, and Lime! We bet itll be delicious!
Have You Ever Wondered…
- What is tapioca?
- Where do cassava plants grow?
- How is tapioca used in cooking?
Today’s Wonder of the Day was inspired by Nina. Nina Wonders, “Are there health benefits to eating tapioca?” Thanks for WONDERing with us, Nina!
When your sweet tooth starts yearning for something tasty, what kind of snack do you reach for? A piece of cake? A slice of pie? A bowl of ice cream? How about some pudding?
When it comes to sweet snacks, a nice bowl of creamy pudding can certainly hit the spot. Do you prefer chocolate, vanilla, or banana? If youre a pudding connoisseur, your favorite might be tapioca pudding.
Mmmm! You might recognize tapioca as those squishy “pearls” that give tapioca pudding and bubble tea their unique taste and texture. But what exactly is tapioca anyway?
Tapioca doesnt grow on trees like fruit or in gardens like a vegetable. Instead, its a starch thats made from the root of a plant whose scientific name is Manihot esculenta.
This plant is native to much of South America and the Caribbean, but it is grown worldwide today. The worlds main producers of the plant are Brazil, Nigeria, and Thailand.
It goes by many different names around the world. In the United States, its commonly called cassava, yucca, or simply the tapioca plant. The word tapioca comes from the South American Tupí word — tipióka — for the starch.
After cassava plants are harvested, their roots are treated to remove toxins found in the plant. The starch is then processed into one of several popular forms: powder, flakes, sticks, or ball-shaped “pearls.” Tapioca pearls are the most popular form.
Tapioca is almost completely free of both protein and gluten. Its mostly carbohydrate with low amounts of saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium. Its a staple food in some areas of the world. People on gluten-free diets often enjoy bread made with tapioca flour.
In addition to tapioca pudding and bubble tea, tapioca is often used as a thickening agent when cooking, especially in soups. Because tapioca does not have a strong taste of its own, it can be added to many dishes to thicken them without changing the taste too much.
The roots of the cassava plant have another interesting use. Besides making tapioca, the plants roots can be used to make a substitute for plastic bags that are biodegradable.
We’d like to thank:
Ryan from CA for contributing questions about today’s Wonder topic!
Keep WONDERing with us!
What You Need to Know About Growing and Using Cassava as a Staple Crop
FAQ
Is tapioca a grain or a seed?
Is tapioca a fruit or vegetable?
What family does tapioca belong to?
What is the benefits of eating tapioca?