What Roots Are in Tapioca

Tapioca (/ˌtæpiˈoʊkə/; Portuguese: [tapiˈɔkɐ]) is a starch extracted from the storage roots of the cassava plant (Manihot esculenta, also known as manioc), a species native to the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, but whose use is now spread throughout South America.

How do you identify tapioca?

Tapioca tubers grow underground in large bunches at the bottom end of the stem. The flesh of the tubers is opaque like that of sweet potato, but firmer, and white to creamy white. There’s a long, hard string running right through the middle of the tuber; it is the tough central part of the root.

Is tapioca a underground stem or root?

Tapioca root is the underground portion of the Cassava plant. The tropical bush-like plant has edible palm-like leaves at the end of long reddish colored stems.