Tapioca flour, also known as Thai arrowroot starch, is a type of starch extracted from the tuber of a tropical plant. After being cooked in hot water, tapioca flour becomes transparent with a chewy texture. But can tapioca flour be eaten? Will it cause food poisoning?
Can tapioca flour be eaten?
Tapioca flour can be eaten. Many people have heard of the poisoning incident involving tapioca flour in the popular Chinese TV series "Empresses in the Palace," which has led to the misconception that tapioca flour is inedible. However, tapioca flour is made from processed cassava flour, and there are two types of cassava: sweet cassava and bitter cassava. Sweet cassava does not contain toxins, while bitter cassava does. However, the tapioca flour sold in the market is processed and even if it is made from bitter cassava, it is safe to consume as it does not contain toxins.
The production process of tapioca flour
The processing of tapioca flour can be roughly divided into washing, grinding, dehydration, drying, and packaging. The drying process involves mixing tapioca flour with high-temperature gas to dry it, and it also removes toxins from cassava. Therefore, the tapioca flour sold in the market is generally non-toxic and safe for consumption. It can be used to make animal feed. Tapioca flour for human consumption requires further processing to extract the starch and can be used to make various starch-based foods.
The uses of tapioca flour
Tapioca flour is rich in starch. Therefore, it can be used to make alcohol, fructose, glucose, maltose, monosodium glutamate, beer, bread, biscuits, noodles, vermicelli, sauces, and other food products. It can also be used for industrial processing to make fiber plastic films, resins, coatings, adhesives, and other chemical products. However, the main use of tapioca flour is in the production of animal feed.
Recipes using tapioca flour
1. Taiwanese Taro Balls
Ingredients: 500g taro, 240g tapioca flour, 70g potato flour, sugar, pumpkin puree, matcha powder, milk, purple sweet potato puree, red yeast rice powder, rock sugar, red bean paste, sago.
Instructions
1. Cook the taro, peel it, and mash it to make taro puree. Add tapioca flour and potato flour and knead the mixture with water to form a dough.
2. Divide the dough into small portions and knead each portion with purple sweet potato puree, pumpkin puree, matcha powder, red yeast rice powder, etc. Let it rest for some time.
3. Rinse the sago with cold water and cook it in boiling water. Stir constantly and cook until translucent. Remove and rinse with cold water, then soak in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
4. Roll the colored dough into strips and cut them into small pieces to make various shapes, such as coconut for green dough and flowers for red dough.
5. Cook the shaped dough in boiling water for about 5 minutes until they float. Remove and rinse with cold water.
6. Boil rock sugar in another pot to make syrup. In a bowl, add the taro balls and syrup. You can also add sago, red bean paste, or milk according to your taste. Serve it cold or hot.
Making Dumpling Wrappers
In addition to making taro balls, tapioca flour can also be used to make savory dumpling wrappers with potato starch, seafood, etc. These wrappers can be used to make dumplings or small buns, such as shrimp dumplings, crystal dumplings, soup dumplings, etc. Tapioca flour, with its high starch content, can increase the stickiness and elasticity of the wrappers.
Precautions when eating tapioca flour
1. Although the tapioca flour sold in the market has been processed to remove toxins or is made from non-toxic sweet cassava, it is still not recommended for pregnant women to consume tapioca flour, as many countries have found a link between tapioca flour consumption and fetal deformities.
2. Tapioca flour should not be consumed with persimmons, as it can cause gastric bleeding.
