Arrowroot

The powdered root of a plant called Maranta arundinacea, grown in the Caribbean. It is used to thicken glazes, fruit fillings, and puddings. The acids found in fresh fruits do not have the same detrimental effect on products thickened with arrowroot as they do when the same products are thickened with cornstarch. Arrowroot thickens at a lower temperature than either cornstarch or flour, which is beneficial when you need to thicken a product that should not boil. The name came from the American Indian practice of using a paste made from the roots of the plant to treat arrow wounds.