A plant-based starch commonly found in boba tea
Tapioca is astarchderived from the root of thecassavaplant.
Tapioca is naturally vegan, gluten-free, and grain-free, and can be an important part of many diets.
Cassava, also called yuca, is a tuberous root vegetable from South America.
photograph by dorisj / Getty Images
To make tapioca, cassava root is ground into a pulp.
Liquid starch is extracted from the ground cassava and dried into a starchy powder to form tapioca.
Starch is a basic source of energy that powers cells of the body and is typically digested quickly.
Tapioca is commonly used as a flour in baking or as a thickener in soups or stews.
Tapioca starch is also used to bind tablets together to make certain medications.
Is Tapioca Gluten-Free or Vegan?
Tapioca is naturally gluten-free since the cassava root does not contain gluten protein.
Tapioca is vegan as it is sourced from cassava root and does not involve the processing of animal products.
Tapioca Side Effects
There are no significant side effects associated with tapioca consumption.
However, any cassava-based product can pose the risk of cyanide poisoning.
Commercially produced cassava and tapioca typically undergo more rigorous processing and are unlikely to contain harmful levels of linamarin.
Summary
Tapioca is a starch derived from the cassava root plant.
Pereira, Bruna & Leonel, Magali.
(2014).Resistant starch in cassava products.Food Science and Technology (Campinas).
Molina-Infante J, Santolaria S, Sanders DS, Fernandez-Banares F.Systematic review: noncoeliac gluten sensitivity.Aliment Pharmacol Ther.
2015 May;41(9):807-20. doi: 10.1111/apt.13155.
