Tapioca
Tapioca (/ˌtæpiˈoʊkə/; Portuguese: [tapiˈɔkɐ]) is a starch extracted from the tubers of the cassava plant (Manihot esculenta, also known as manioc), a species native to the North and Northeast regions of Brazil,[1] but which has now spread throughout parts of the World such as West Africa and Southeast Asia.
Tapioca is derived from the word tipi'óka, its name in the Tupi language spoken by natives when the Portuguese first arrived in the Northeast Region of Brazil around 1500.
The root of the green-branched variant requires treatment to remove linamarin, a cyanogenic glycoside occurring naturally in the plant, which otherwise may be converted into cyanide.
[4] Konzo (also called mantakassa) is a paralytic disease associated with several weeks of almost exclusive consumption of insufficiently processed bitter cassava.
The top of the tube is secured while a large branch or lever is inserted into a loop at the bottom and used to stretch the entire implement vertically, squeezing a starch-rich liquid out through the weave and ends.
Commercially, the starch is processed into several forms: hot soluble powder, meal, pre-cooked fine or coarse flakes, rectangular sticks, and spherical "pearls.
It was originally produced by the indigenous Arawak and Carib peoples because these roots were a common plant of the rain forests where they lived.
Indigenous communities, such as the Ye-Kuana, Kari-Ña, Yanomami, Guarao or Warao descended from the Caribe or Arawac nations, still make casabe.
Traditionally, this squeezing is done in a sebucan, an 8 to 12-foot (3.7 m) long, tube-shaped, pressure strainer, woven in a characteristic helical pattern from palm leaves.
A regional dessert called sagu is also made in Southern Brazil from tapioca pearls traditionally cooked with cinnamon and cloves in red wine, although other fruit flavors may be used.
The cassava root is known by different names throughout the country: mandioca in the North, Central-West, and São Paulo; macaxeira in the Northeast; aipim in the Southeast and South.
Another method is to boil large blocks until soft and serve them with grated coconut as a dessert, either slightly salted or sweetened, usually with palm sugar syrup.
Tapai is made by fermenting large blocks with a yeast-like bacteria culture to produce a sweet and slightly alcoholic dessert.
A variation of the chips popular amongst the Malays is kerepek pedas, where the crisps are coated with a hot, sweet, and tangy chili and onion paste, or sambal, usually with fried anchovies and peanuts added.
The cultivation of the plant is also extensively present in the Malay Peninsula, where in the hands of the Chinese, cassava tubers weighing from 4–13 kilograms (8.8–28.7 lb) are first scraped and then washed carefully.
Different applications may be applied here to give rise to the popular and loved tapioca pearls in bubble tea beverages, also known as boba.
The pearl tapioca is achieved by placing the flour in a cradle-shaped frame covered with canvas, where it's slightly moistened and rotated to be granulated.
Tapioca pearls are used to make Sabudana khichdi, pakoda, paratha in Maharashtra, which is commonly eaten during vrat (fasting).
by the then Maharaja of Travancore, Vishakham Thirunal Rama Varma after a great famine hit the kingdom, as a substitute for rice.
Once cooked, it can be mixed with grated coconut, chili, salt, turmeric, etc., then steamed and mashed into a dry pudding.
Another popular combination is mashed tapioca with dried salted sardines directly cooked on charcoal and green chili.
Tapioca can be stored for extended periods by parboiling, drying it after skinning, and slicing it into 0.5 cm thick pieces.
In Assam, sabudana is also used as a substitute diet against boiled rice (bhaat) for the sick, elderly, or infirm for easy digestion and strength.
It is generally eaten boiled with a chili onion mixture called "lunu miris sambol" (a type of salsa) or coconut sambal.
In Nigeria, cassava is grated and dry roasted into garri; this is consumed by adding water, sugar, and or peanuts accompanied by meat or smoked fish.
The Ijebu people of Nigeria make a cold water variant of eba by pounding the mixture with their fist until it becomes homogeneous; this is called feshelu.
In Lagos, cassava is processed into tapioca which is cooked in coconut milk and sugar; this can be eaten as a breakfast meal or as a dessert at parties or dinner.
The Igbos of Eastern Nigeria add palm oil and other seasonings to boiled and grated cassava, a dish called abacha.
The effects of additives on thermal transitions and physical and chemical properties can affect the quality and storage stability of tapioca-based products.
[citation needed][23] Salt is often added to starch-based products to enhance flavor and functionality, as it can increase the gelatinization temperature of tapioca starch and delay the retrogradation of the gels formed upon cooling.
