What is tapioca flour?
Native to South America, tapioca flour is made by crushing a tuber called ‘cassava root’ and dehydrating it into a fine powder. Granulated tapioca powder has a slightly sweet flavour with a starchiness that’s especially good for thickening sauces, soups, pie fillings, dips and puddings. You’ll find it in gluten-free and grain-free baking recipes as an alternative to regular wheat flour. This is because it lends a springy texture to bakes, as well as making crusts crispy and promoting browning. It is perhaps most popular for its use in the Brazilian treats.
How is tapioca flour made?
First, a cassava root has to be peeled, washed, chopped and then shredded. The shredded mixture is then washed and spun repeatedly until the mixture is just water and pure starch. Then, the starch is allowed to dry out and form a fine tapioca starch or flour.
Tapioca flour vs starch: Is tapioca flour the same as tapioca starch?
There is no ‘tapioca flour vs starch’ as they are the same thing. However, there is another product called cassava flour that is often mistaken for tapioca flour. The two are similar, but not the same. Cassava flour is made from the whole cassava root, rather than just the starchy pulp that tapioca flour is made from. It simply does not work the same as tapioca flour, so make sure you find something that clearly states it is tapioca flour or tapioca starch.
Why is tapioca flour used? 8 top uses
There are many uses for tapioca flour, here are the 8 top uses of it:
- Perfect for grain- and gluten-free diets
One of the most popular reasons people use tapioca flour is because they are avoiding products containing gluten and grains.
- Suitable for the paleo diet
Although many paleo recipes tend to use coconut flour and almond flour, tapioca flour can also be used to substitute regular wheat flour in baking As it is quite high in carbohydrates, it’s recommended that you use it in combination with other paleo flours in baking – which is no bad thing, as this way you get to enjoy the benefits of each.
- Great for baking
You can switch regular wheat flour for tapioca flour combined with other gluten-free flours in some bread, cake and other baking recipes. Tapioca flour is great for bakes that need a light texture, as it is said to help make your bakes nice and springy, with browned, crispy crusts. As we mentioned above, it is also particularly famous for its use in the Brazilian bake Pão de Queijo, which are little soft, squidgy, bread rolls filled with cheese.
- Can really thicken things up
With its neutral flavour and thickening power, tapioca flour is perfect for improving the consistency of soups, gravies, sauces, pie fillings, dips, and desserts like angel food cake.
- Used to make bubble tea ‘bubbles’
Bubble tea is a popular Taiwanese drink that has proven very popular here in the UK, as well as worldwide. This fun drink is made by blending a tea base with milk, fruit, fruit juices and then adding its namesake – bubbles! These chewy bubbles, aka boba, are usually made with just tapioca flour and water, so you could even have a go at making them at home!
- A natural source of resistant starch
Tapioca is full of resistant starch, a substance that functions a bit like soluble fibre. As the name suggests, this starch is resistant to digestion and can be transported to our gut without being broken down. Once it’s there, it can be consumed by the ‘friendly’ bacteria and help support our microbiome.
- Makes a mean flatbread or pancake
Due to its lower cost in some parts of the world, tapioca flour is mixed with water and used to make flat breads and pancakes, which are then filled with savoury / sweet toppings.
- Can help bind some foods together
When used in processed foods like burgers, nuggets and dough, it can help to bind ingredients together. It can also help prevent sogginess by trapping moisture in a gel-like form in these foods
How does tapioca flour compare to normal wheat flour?
Wondering how tapioca flour fares in comparison to the much more popular wheat flour? Let’s start by comparing some of their nutritional data. Nutritional values per 100g tapioca flour1 and 100g plain wheat flour:2
As you can see, tapioca flour and regular wheat flour are pretty similar when it comes to nutrition. The starkest difference between the two is their protein and fat content. Tapioca flour is pure carbs, whereas wheat flour contains protein and some fat. However, while tapioca flour’s reduced protein content may be considered negative, it is actually one of the reasons for its popularity in the gluten-free world. Gluten is a protein that some people’s bodies can’t digest, which is why they may be relieved to discover that tapioca flour has no protein. On the contrary, if your body digests gluten normally, then there’s no reason to use gluten-free flours like tapioca flour for gluten content alone – it is a source of protein after all. Putting nutrition and food intolerances to the side for a second, some people choose to use tapioca flour over wheat flour for the benefits we have already discussed above, like certain bakes and bubble tea.
Is tapioca good for you?
Tapioca flour is almost pure starch and is therefore full of carbohydrates. As you can see above, it contains minimal fat, protein and fibre, so from a nutritional standpoint it may not be as good for you as other grains and flours. However, if you are intolerant to wheat or find life better on a gluten-free diet, tapioca flour can help you enjoy the foods you miss, like bread, biscuits and cake. Tapioca flour has lots of other benefits, like thickening soups and gives bakes a crisp texture, so it’s not all about the health benefits.
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Source: Holland & Barrett Retail Limited
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