Tapioca is a starch extracted from cassava root, a tuber native to South America. The cassava root is relatively easy to grow and a dietary staple in several countries in Africa, Asia, and South America. Tapioca is almost pure starch and has very limited nutritional value ( 1 , 2 ).

Where tapioca is found?

Tapioca is the starch extracted from the cassava root, a tuber used as a food staple in many parts of the world. Cassava is a native vegetable of South America that grows in tropical and subtropical regions.

Where does the tapioca plant come from?

Tapioca (/ˌtæpiˈoʊkə/; Portuguese: [tapiˈɔkɐ]) is a starch extracted from the storage roots of the cassava plant (Manihot esculenta, also known as manioc), a species native to the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, but whose use is now spread throughout South America.