Arrowroot

Arrowroot is a starchy powder that has no gluten and is obtained from the dried cassava plant. It is mainly used in cooking as a thickener instead of cornstarch. European settlers discovered it in the New World. The Arawak people who lived in the Caribbean islands named the plant aru-aru, ‘meal of meals,’ because they thought highly of the starchy nutritious meal made from it. It was also used as a medicine to draw poison from wounds inflicted by poison arrows, and hence the English name. It has almost no taste, and has more thickening power than flour or cornstarch (½ teaspoon arrowroot equals 1 teaspoon cornstarch). Since it thickens at lower temperatures it can be used in delicate sauces without leaving that starchy taste characteristic of undercooked cornstarch. Arrowroot is used mostly as a thickener in making ice creams (instead of the hard-to-find sahlab; see salep), which helps reduce the amount of whipping cream used and gives ice cream a delightful chewiness. To use, dissolve the amount required in a little cold water before adding it to hot mixtures.