does anyone know what Tapioca is?

Answer 1

Tapioca is basically a root starch derived from the cassava, or yuca plant. It's often used to thicken soups and sweeten the flavor of baked goods, and it makes a dandy pudding.
The cassava plant is native to South America and the West Indies, where its thick, fibrous roots are used in a variety of forms: bread flour, laundry starch, an alcoholic brew, and of course, tapioca pudding. As the Encyclopedia Britannica tells us, it was probably first harvested by the Mayans.

Budi Acid Jaya, a tapioca starch producer in Indonesia, uses processed cassava roots to make raw materials for crackers, toothpaste, paper, and textiles.

We suggest you don't try making your own tapioca at home. Cassava roots have traces of cyanide in them! The ever-resourceful Mayans figured out how to extract this poison for their blow darts, leaving the uncontaminated roots free for eating.

Answer 2

Tapioca is a starch extracted from the cassava plant, which is native to the Western Hemisphere, but now much more widely cultivated in Africa and Asia. It is produced in several forms: a flour, flakes, and pellets or pearls. As with cornstarch, tapioca flour is used as a thickener in both commercial and household cooking. Pearl tapioca is responsible for the pudding. When I was little my brothers told me that the tapioca in the pudding was fish eggs. I believed them and didnt eat it for years.

Answer 3

Tapioca is made from the cassava root, crushed & formed into various sizes of balls.
They are soaked and then cooked into a custard pudding much like rice pudding.
Or they can be precooked as in minute tapioca which does not require soaking and cooks in minutes.

Hope this helps

Answer 4

A beady starch obtained from the root of the cassava, used for puddings and as a thickening agent in cooking.

Answer 5

Tapioca is basically a root starch derived from the cassava, or yuca plant. It's often used to thicken soups and sweeten the flavor of baked goods, and it makes a dandy pudding

Tapioca Pudding
3 1/2 ounces large pearl tapioca, approximately 1/2 cup
2 cups cold water
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 egg yolk
1/3 cup sugar
1 lemon, zested
Pinch salt

Place tapioca in a medium mixing bowl along with the water, cover, and let stand overnight.
Drain water from tapioca. Place the tapioca into a slow cooker along with the milk, heavy cream, and salt. Cook on high for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and sugar. Temper small amounts of the tapioca into the egg mixture until you have added at least 1 cup. Then add this back into the remaining tapioca in the slow cooker. Add the lemon zest and stir to combine. Cook for an additional 15 minutes, stirring at least once. Transfer the pudding to a bowl and cover the surface with plastic wrap. Allow to cool at room temperature for 1 hour and then place in the refrigerator until thoroughly chilled.

Chocolate Tapioca Pudding
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons quick cooking tapioca
3 cups whole milk
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons dark rum
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, tapioca, milk and egg. Let stand for 5 minutes.
Add cinnamon and chocolate to saucepan and cook over medium heat until pudding comes to a full boil, stirring continually to prevent burning.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and rum.
Cool for 20 minutes. Stir for creamy texture.
Serve warm or chilled.


Banana Coconut Pudding
1 tablespoon small pearl tapioca (not quick-cooking)
1 (14-ounce) can light unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped crystallized ginger
1/3 cup sugar
3 firm, ripe bananas
Garnish if desired: 1 tablespoon chopped crystallized ginger

In a small bowl soften tapioca in warm water to cover 1 hour.
While tapioca is soaking, in a small saucepan cook coconut milk, ginger, and sugar over moderate heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and let mixture stand 10 minutes.

Drain tapioca. Peel bananas and quarter lengthwise. Cut quarters into 1/2-inch pieces.
Heat coconut milk mixture over low heat and gently stir in tapioca and bananas. Cook pudding, stirring (be careful not to break up bananas), until thickened slightly and bananas are heated through, about 5 minutes, and cool. Divide pudding among 6 ramekins and chill, covered, until cold.
Garnish pudding with crystallized ginger.

Answer 6

A pudding, like vanilla or chocolate pudding.

tapioca
Main Entry: tap·i·o·ca
Pronunciation: "ta-pE-'O-k&
Function: noun
Etymology: Portuguese, from Tupi tipióka
1 : a usually granular preparation of cassava starch used especially in puddings and as a thickening in liquid food; also : a dish (as pudding) containing tapioca
2 : CASSAVA

Answer 7

Tapioca is a bean

Answer 8

a preparation of cassava-root starch used as a food, in bread or as a thickening agent in liquid foods, notably puddings but also soups and juicy pies.

Answer 9

It is found in tropical countries, they are grown for food and making desserts. Something like sweet potatoes.. but the inside is white.

Answer 10

It's a wonderful yellow airy pudding. But I bet you meant, what the pudding is made with, didn't you?