Tapioca Starch, also known as Arrowroot Flour in Australia, is made from the cassava or yucca (yuca) root, by pulping, and drying the starch to create a fine flour which is easily digested.
Primarily used to thicken and add gloss to delicate foods and desserts, and lighten the taste of baked goods, it is also a thickener and stabilizer in fruit pies, soups, puddings, breads, sauces, soy and meat products, chocolate, ice cream, and vermicelli, and can withstand long cooking times without breaking down.
Tapioca starch will thicken any mixture at a lower temperature than using wheat flour or cornstarch.
Food made with tapioca can be frozen or reheated as temperature change does not alter its thickening capabilities. It also makes clear, shimmering fruit gels and prevents ice crystals from forming in homemade ice cream. A grain free and gluten free substitute with a slightly sweet flavour, it is best used in combination with other flours, like rice flour, for baking.
