Wow...I can have tapioca...

Well, in trying to find things I can eat having almost been "jello'd" out, I decided to attempt Tapioca. Yes, just like my jello I'm picky about my Tapioca, I prefer homemade though the Kraft minute version brand (why they call it minute when it takes longer than one minute is of course something I've wondered), is what I have here and I do like that much better than the pudding type cup version or even the store made deli type version.

Another good thing about Tapioca is the kids don't like it so, unlike pudding and jello if I make some? Chances are there will still be some left in the fridge for me.

What is Tapioca? According to Wikipedia:

Tapioca is an essentially flavourless starchy ingredient, or fecula, produced from treated and dried cassava (manioc) root and used in cooking. It is similar to sago and is commonly used to make a milky pudding similar to rice pudding. Purchased tapioca comprises many small white spheres each about 2 mm in diameter. These are not seeds, but rather reconstituted processed root. The processing concept is akin to the way that wheat is turned into pasta.

Tapioca is a word derived from the Tupi-Guarani language of Brazil (from tipi meaning residue or dregs and ok to squeeze out). This refers to the process through which cassava (Manihot esculenta) is made edible.

I also learned thru a specific wiki page on Tapioca pudding:

Tapioca has been considered a healthy food because, as a starch, it is easy to digest. In the eighteenth century it gained popularity for its nutritive properties. In the nineteenth century, tapioca pudding was often used as a medicine. In 1948, Jell-O produced three flavors of tapioca pudding: vanilla, chocolate, and orange-coconut.

Then of course there is Bubble Tea, which I have to admit I've never tried. Maybe that's next...

:-)