Tuesday, September 16, 2014

What is Tapioca Flour?

Have you ever asked the question "What is tapioca flour?". We hear it all the time! We also frequently get asked "Where does it come from?" or "What makes it different from white, wheat, or other flours/starches available at the grocery store?"

Tapioca flour is one of the main ingredients in Brazi Bites making our products naturally gluten-free, and most of all giving our bread a fantastic texture.

Tapioca flour (or tapioca starch) is harvested from the root of the cassava plant (yuca/manioc which is native to Asia and South America). It has characteristics similar to a potato. It's then grounded into a powder form.




Tapioca flour has the ability to maintain a gel-like form when frozen and cooked with, which is one of the reasons the insides of Brazi Bites are so soft and fluffy!  Other flours use different plants such as grains, beans and often go through chemical or enriching processes. Many of them contain gluten whereas tapioca flour doesn't.

Tapioca isn't limited to only Brazilian Cheese Bread. You can use it to make tapioca pearls, puddings, fufu (an African staple), yuca buns/bread, and more!

We make Brazi Bites with only the finest natural ingredients. All of our ingredients (including tapioca flour) are gluten free and Non-GMO. Tapioca flour helps us achieve that rich flavor and cheesy texture!

What are you thoughts on tapioca flour? Do you use it for cooking in your own kitchen?

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