Tapioca is the flour obtained from the tubers of cassava. It is sometimes called tapioca flour, cassava flour, or tapioca starch. Cassava (Manihot esculenta), in addition to being tapioca, is also known by the names of cassava and yuca.
Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerousLa tapioca it is the flour obtained from the tubers of cassava. It is sometimes called tapioca flour, cassava flour or tapioca starch. The manioca (Manihot esculenta), as well as as tapioca, is also known by the names of cassava and yuca.
Tapioca flour is a flour very delicate for the intestine e does not contain gluten. Its most common use concerns the preparation of baby food during weaning. Let's discover the properties and nutritional values of tapioca.
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Nutritional values of tapioca
Tapioca flour brings to our body almost only carbohydrates and a small percentage of protein. 99% of the energy supplied by tapioca to our body derives from carbohydrates. 100 grams of tapioca flour provide 360 calories.
They also provide our body with 20 mg of potassium, 1 mg of iron, 12 mg of football, 12 mg of phosphorus and 0,1 mg of riboflavin. Tapioca flour is very low in lipids which represent only 0,2% of the product (100 g), while proteins make up 0,6%.
Specialties Thu the complete tables of the CREA on tapioca.
Properties of tapioca
The tapioca that we know in the form of flour (or more correctly than starch) is obtained with a rather laborious process that requires to separate the edible part of the cassava suitable to obtain the tapioca from the inedible parts of this tuber. Tapioca is first dried and then ground into a powder to make one very fine, light and digestible flour.
Tapioca-based preparations, such as plant-based creams and baby food, are suitable for those with a delicate stomach and intestines. In fact, baby food or soups made with tapioca flour are offered above all to small children and to those who are in a phase of convalescence.
Tapioca allows to obtain baby food and energy soups considered suitable for the growth of children and able to invigorate the physique of those recovering from an illness. It is also suitable for those suffering from intestinal disorders and stomach pain.
Uses of tapioca
We know tapioca above all as a flour for the preparation of first baby food. In this case, small quantities of tapioca flour are dissolved in hot water or vegetable broth to obtain a creamy gruel.
Le baby food prepared with tapioca flour they are an alternative to the classic rice creams prepared for weaning. Tapioca flour is usually on sale as a product intended for children.
It is however possible to use tapioca flour as a substitute ingredient, when you have it available, in recipes that include potato starch, cornstarch (cornstarch) or rice flour among the ingredients.
In cooking and in food preparations, tapioca flour is mainly used as a binder or as a thickener. Usually in eggless cakes, corn starch or rice flour is used to replace this ingredient, but tapioca flour may also be suitable for adding to the dough instead of eggs (1 tablespoon of tapioca for each egg, even in the case of tapioca mixed with other types of starches).
We recommend this Brazilian recipe for cooking tapioca. You can read it in this article "como fazer tapioca".
Use small amounts of tapioca flour (the advice is to add only 1 teaspoon at a time) when you need to thicken a vegetable soup, a soup, a soup or a cream to fill the cakes. Mix well with a whisk to avoid the formation of lumps. The populations of tropical countries, where tapioca is one of the staple foods, use it to prepare bread.
Tapioca lately is for sale in combination with corn starch and rice to prepare baby food.
Glycemic index and contraindications of tapioca
The consumption of tapioca flour it has no particular contraindications. Diabetics should be aware thatindex glicemico of tapioca is of 85 but also of the fact that, despite the high GI, this food has a very low pure carbohydrate content (5%). THU more information.
From this point of view, those suffering from diabetes should ask their doctor for more information. Who follows one calorie restriction diet, should instead take into account that tapioca has a high energy intake and therefore consider whether to include this product in your diet.
Marta Albè
Read also:
The 5 tubers of health
Tapioca, the most delicate gluten free food for the intestine derived from cassava
Not just potatoes! 12 healthy tubers and roots to add to our diet
