What is Tapioca?
[[File:Tepung casava.jpg|thumb|Tapioca starch]] '''Tapioca''' ({{IPA-pt|tapiˈɔkɐ}}) is a [[starch]] extracted from [[cassava]] root (''Manihot esculenta''). This species is native to the [[North Region, Brazil|North Region]] of Brazil, but spread throughout the South American continent. The plant was carried by [[Colonial Brazil|Portuguese]] and [[Spanish Empire|Spanish]] explorers to most of the West Indies, and continents of Africa and Asia, including the [[Philippines]] and [[Taiwan]]. It is now cultivated worldwide. == Uses == Tapioca starch has been used to make some foods, such as [[pão de queijo]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-06-25|title=Pão de queijo is the history of Brazil in a moreish cheese snack|url=http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/jun/25/pao-de-queijo-is-the-history-of-brazil-in-a-moreish-cheese-snack|access-date=2021-05-24|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref> == References == {{Reflist}} {{Food-stub}} [[Category:Carbohydrates]] [[Category:Food ingredients]]