5 Tapioca Dishes to Dazzle on National Tapioca Day
It’s National Tapioca Day today
The starch extract of the cassava root, tapioca has been made famous by the tapioca pudding. But it is so much more than just an ingredient in a lumpy pudding! It is generally used as a thickener in food, and can be quite difficult to get hold of due to its complicated extraction process.
Cassava comes from South America, and the roots are taken and squashed into a pulp then washed to extract the starch needed for tapioca. This starch is then heated to create a paste which is then reformed into a dry ‘pearl’ or powder form. Not especially famous for distinct flavours, tapioca is instead very useful as a thickening agent in many recipes.
Making Tapioca Pudding
Tapioca pudding is so simple to make and all you need is:
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup quick-cooking tapioca
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Mix together the milk, tapioca, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, constantly stirring.
- Reduce to a low heat; cook and stir 5 minutes longer.
- Whisk 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the beaten eggs, 2 tablespoons at a time until incorporated.
- Stir the egg mixture back into the tapioca until well mixed.
- Bring the pudding to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer until the pudding becomes thick enough to evenly coat the back of a metal spoon.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
- The pudding may be served hot or poured into serving dishes and refrigerated several hours until cold.
Pearls of tapioca are often added to classic tapioca pudding recipes, but if you prefer your textures smooth, try using powder forms instead. If you’re feeling adventurous, you might want to try more of these delicious tapioca recipes to celebrate National Tapioca Day:
Find these and more tapioca recipes on Recipebridge.
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