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Tapioca starch, also known as tapioca flour, is derived from the cassava plant, also known as yuca, a South American tuberous root vegetable. The cassava root is washed, mashed into a pulpy consistency, and squeezed to release the liquid. The extra-fine, white powder that is left over after the liquid evaporates is made entirely of pure starch and referred to as tapioca flour.
A natural gluten-free and vegan flour with a neutral flavour is tapioca starch. This makes it a suitable replacement and gluten-free equivalent for many other flours. It's a typical component of gluten-free flour blends, which often also include xanthan gum, cornstarch, potato starch, rice flour, almond flour, and brown rice flour. Although they both derive from the tubers of rhizomatic plants, arrowroot starch, and tapioca starch are not the same.
How can tapioca flour be utilised?
Unsure of how to use the tapioca flour that you have on hand? We have your back. Similar to other starches, tapioca flour excels as a thickening agent when added to recipes with a liquid foundation. Even so, there aren't many differences between tapioca flour and other starches. One of the most obvious differences is that tapioca flour retains its texture even after being frozen. This means you can stop worrying about freezing any leftover soup if you use tapioca starch. Simply place it in the freezer, defrost it, and eat it when you're ready. The consistency of the substance will remain creamy and thick as previously.
1. Baking
Tapioca flour is great for baking, especially when using gluten-free goods. If you use just the right amount of tapioca flour, your baked items will have a light, airy, crispy, and chewy texture. The addition of tapioca flour is a terrific technique to ensure that your components bind together without the need for gluten. It is ideal for use in bread, cookies, brownies, and pie crusts. It's important to get the tapioca flour measurement just right. Adding too much could result in gummy goodies.
2. Thickening agent
Would you like to make your favourite soup recipe thicker without using regular flour? use tapioca flour. Contrary to its name, tapioca flour is a starch and a fantastic gluten-free thickener. You can thicken a soup or sauce with tapioca flour instead of wheat flour to get the same result.
3. Bubble tea
Utilise tapioca flour to make bubble tea and venture outside the comfort zone of your kitchen. Simply combine tapioca flour with hot water and food colouring to create the ideal tapioca pearl dough or boba pearl. Then, use your preferred bubble tea recipe to make the ideal boba pearl. To enjoy your milk tea with tapioca balls, make sure to purchase extra-wide straws.
