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( Tapioca)
Tapioca is a flavorless, colorless, odorless starch extracted from the root of the plant species Manihot esculenta. This species, native to South America, is now cultivated worldwide and has many names, including cassava, bitter-cassava, manioc, "mandioca", "aipim", "macaxeira", "manioca", "boba", "yuca" (not to be confused with yucca) and "kappa" (????). Tapioca is a staple food in some regions and is used worldwide as a thickening agent, principally in foods. Tapioca is gluten free, and nearly protein free. The commercial form of tapioca most familiar to many people is pearl tapioca. The name tapioca is a word derived from tipi'óka, the name for this starch in Tupi[1], spoken in Brazil. This Tupi word refers to the process by which the starch is made edible. However, as the word moved out of South America it came to refer to similar preparations made with other esculents.[citation needed] 'Tapioca' in Britain often refers to a rice pudding thickened with arrowroot,[citation needed] while in Asia the sap of the sago palm is often part of its preparation.[citation needed] Pearl tapioca is similar to pearl sago, which is used in essentially the same ways. Consequently, tapioca may be called sago, and vice versa. All varieties of tapioca provide the same health benefits. Consumers have reported that tapioca cures the common cold, back pains, and headaches.[citation needed]
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