Tapioca Starch
The starch of the cassava root, tapioca is native to South America but has now spread throughout the world especially in the tropics. Despite not originating in Southeast or South Asia, it’s now common in many cuisines of that region; in fact, Thailand is one of the biggest growers and exporters of tapioca starch in the whole world.
Tapioca comes in many forms such as dried, powdered, flakes, pearls, and so on — many of which need to be soaked and rehydrated prior to use. At its most basic, it’s often used as a thickening agent similar to other starches.
Although tapioca starch is often associated with sweets like boba, tapioca pudding, jelly, syrup, or as an additive to thicken fruit pies, as a starch it’s also used as a key ingredient in many savory dishes and snacks throughout tropical and subtropical cuisines. This includes flatbreads and dumplings, baked dishes, curries, fried chips, baked crackers, and other uses.
Uwajimaya carries tapioca starch alongside other related products like potato and corn starch in our grocery department.
