Grain
Tapioca
Tapioca is a starch extracted from cassava root, sold as pearls, flakes, flour, and starch powder. Neutral and glossy when cooked, it thickens pies and sauces and forms the chewy pearls of bubble tea and puddings. Not a cereal grain, it is grouped with grain-cupboard starches for culinary use. Must be fully cooked; quality varies from fine starch to large black tea pearls.
Also known as: Tapioca / Polvilho, Sabudana, Fen yuan, Sakhu
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Characteristics
Preparations
Traits
Nutrition and pairings
Nutrition
Typical values per 100 g edible portion. Nutrient names open the reference page.
Nutrition Facts
Per 100 g edible portion
Amount per 100 g
- Total Fat 2.61 g
- Saturated Fat 0.48 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat 0.48 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat 1.21 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Sodium 5.11 mg
- Salt 0.01 g
- Total Carbohydrate 75.5 g
- Dietary Fibre 5.92 g
- Total Sugars 1.06 g
- Complex / starch 62.8 g
- Protein 9.55 g
- Water 12.9 g
- Energy 352 kcal
- Water 12.9 g
- Carbohydrates 75.5 g
- Sugars 1.06 g
- Monosaccharides 0.74 g
- Disaccharides 0.32 g
- Starch 62.8 g
- Amylose 15.7 g
- Amylopectin 47.1 g
- Digestible Starch 53.3 g
- Resistant Starch 6.28 g
- Fibre 5.92 g
- Soluble Fibre 2.07 g
- Insoluble Fibre 3.85 g
- Protein 9.55 g
- Plant Protein 9.07 g
- Fat 2.61 g
- Saturated Fat 0.48 g
- Monounsaturated Fat 0.48 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat 1.21 g
- Vitamins 59.5 mg
- Vitamin A 20 µg
- Vitamin B1 — Thiamine 0.29 mg
- Vitamin B2 — Riboflavin 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B3 — Niacin 3.79 mg
- Vitamin B5 — Pantothenic Acid 0.56 mg
- Vitamin B6 0.23 mg
- Vitamin B7 — Biotin 2.8 µg
- Vitamin B9 — Folate 27.2 µg
- Vitamin C 2 mg
- Vitamin E 0.71 mg
- Vitamin K 1.8 µg
- Minerals 237 mg
- Major Minerals 231 mg
- Trace Minerals 6.2 mg
- Salt 0.01 g
- Sodium Chloride 0.01 g
Vitamins
vitamin-c: 2 · vitamin-a: 20 · vitamin-b1-thiamine: 0.29 · vitamin-b2-riboflavin: 0.1 · vitamin-b3-niacin: 3.79 · vitamin-b5-pantothenic-acid: 0.56 · vitamin-b6: 0.23 · vitamin-b7-biotin: 2.8 · vitamin-b9-folate: 27.2 · vitamin-e: 0.71 · vitamin-k: 1.8 ·
Minerals
Sodium: 5.11 · Potassium: 163 · Calcium: 63 · Iron: 0.8 · Zinc: 0.4 · Iodine: 5 ·
Dry grains are starch-forward with bran fibre when whole; refining strips fibre and some minerals.
In the kitchen
Culinary partners and combinations that usually underperform with Tapioca.
Usually avoid with
Often clash in flavour or tradition
History
Amazonian peoples processed cassava into starches and flatbreads, the origin of tapioca products.
Colonial trade spread cassava and tapioca starch across Africa and Asia.
Tapioca pudding pearls and industrial starch became global pantry commodities.
Bubble tea popularised large tapioca pearls as a chewy beverage ingredient worldwide.