Tapioca
starch extracted from cassava root (Manihot esculenta)
Tapioca (; Portuguese: [tapiˈɔkɐ]) is a starch extracted from the tubers of the cassava plant (Manihot esculenta, also known as manioc), a species native to the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, but which is now found in West Africa, Southeast Asia, and elsewhere. It is a perennial shrub adapted to the hot conditions of tropical lowlands. Cassava copes better with poor soils than many other food plants.
Tapioca is a staple food for millions of people in tropical countries. It provides only carbohydrate food value and is low in protein, vitamins, and minerals. In other countries, it is used as a thickening agent in various manufactured foods.
Etymology
The word "tapioca" is derived from tipi'óka, its name in the Tupi language spoken by natives when the Portuguese first arrived in the Northeast Region of Brazil around 1500. This Tupi word is translated as "sediment" or "coagulant" and refers to the curd-like starch sediment that is obtained in the extraction process.
Production
Establishment
The cassava plant is easily established by cutting, according to the NRCS: "Propagate cassava by planting segments of the stem. Cut stems into 9-30 cm lengths; be sure to include at least one node.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Tapioca” as starch extracted from cassava root (Manihot esculenta). Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
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Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 14, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q873761. The Library of Congress control number is sh89003176. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1500.
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This entry incorporates text from “Tapioca” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.