Tapioca; Tapioca Flour; Tapioca Pearls

Tapioca, also known as cassava or manioc, is the tuber of Manihot esculentai, an important source of carbohydrates in many places, especially where there are poor soils. It was first cultivated in Brazil over ten thousand years ago. Tapioca can be processed in many ways, but in this book is called for only in the form of tapioca flour and tapioca pearls. Both are sold in Asian grocery stores, in small bags. Tapioca flour adds chewiness and strength to rice-flour batters and noodles; it is also sometimes added to bean thread noodles during processing. Tapioca pearls are used in desserts and sweet treats such as bubble tea. They cook in liquid until tender, and only then is sugar added, for adding it earlier prevents the pearls from softening. When buying tapioca pearls to make desserts be sure to buy the small ones (they are a little larger than sesame seeds when dried, then expand as they cook in water) rather than the large ones that are used in bubble tea.