tapioca

Everyday

1. Tapioca is a starch made from the root of the cassava plant; it comes as flour, flakes or small white balls (pearls). tree →
2. Tapioca (pudding) is a sweet milky pudding made with tapioca pearls. tree →

In the lessons

Food and science: cassava grows in hot countries in South America, Africa and Asia; tapioca pearls swell and go see-through when cooked. Bubble tea uses big chewy tapioca pearls. In old UK school dinners, tapioca pudding was famous (some children called it «frogspawn»). Tapioca flour is gluten-free.

Examples

• Grandma made tapioca pudding with milk. tree →
• Bubble tea has tapioca pearls at the bottom. tree →
• Tapioca comes from the cassava root. tree →
• Some children used to call tapioca «frogspawn». tree →
• The tapioca balls turned clear as they cooked. tree →
• Tapioca flour is used in gluten-free bread. tree →

Note

Uncountable. Said «tap-ee-OH-kuh». Raw cassava root is poisonous unless prepared properly, but tapioca from shops is safe.