Friday, June 4, 2010

Friday's Last Spoonful: Tapioca Starch

A product of the cassava/ yuca plant

This ingredient is used to thicken and flavor desserts, such as puddings and pie fillings, in Southeast Asian cuisines. The starch is made from repeated washing and then wet grinding the tuber roots of the cassava plant. Three qualities make tapioca starch preferable to cornstarch in some recipes: Tapioca starch thickens at a lower temperature, remains stable when frozen, and lends a glossy sheen to sauces. So basically, it's quicker to cook, more reliable after freezing, and makes sauces pretty. Tapioca starch completely dissolves when used as a thickening agent. Choose Tapioca starch works quickly so choose it to quickly correct the consistency of a sauce right before serving since it tends to work quickly. Sweetened tapioca has a flavor that’s very similar to vanilla. If you've ever tried tapioca pudding, you'll understand. Look for this ingredient at your local Asian food market or gourmet foods supermarket.

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