Cassava Root (Manihot Esculenta) Tapioca Pearls

Description ShareTweetPinLinkedInPrintEmail Cassava Root (Manihot Esculenta) Tapioca Pearls HERB COMMON NAME :   Cassava HERB SCIENTIFIC NAME :   Manihot Esculenta OTHER NAMES :   Cassava Root, Tapioca, Boba, Bubble Tea, Manioc, Yuca, Mandioca, Sabudana, Sagu, Polvilho, Sagudana, Shabudana, Sabba Akki, Kappa, Maracheeni FAMILY :  Euphorbiaceae Parts Used:  Root Description:  Tapioca is essentially a starch that is synthesized from the root of the cassava plant. It is often processed into little round particles that look like pearls and is a popular ingredient in many South American and Asian recipes such as bubble tea, puddings, jams, jellies, and desserts. The starch is however processed into several forms: soluble powder, meal, fine or coarse flakes, rectangular sticks, and spherical pearls. Pearls are the most widely available. Dried tapioca pearls are about 11% water and 89% carbohydrates, with no protein or fat. About 3.5 ounces of tapioca contains approximately 358 calories and no (or only trace amounts) of minerals or vitamins. Cassava is the third largest food source of carbohydrates in the tropics, after rice and corn. It is a major staple food in the developing world, providing a basic diet for over half a billion people. Cassava is rich is starch and contains small amounts of calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin C. The leaves are a good source of protein. Due to the shortage of food in Southeast Asia during World War II, many refugees survived on carbohydrate rich tapioca. People on gluten-free diets can eat bread made with tapioca flour. *CAUTION! : SEE CONTRAINDICATIONS & TOXICITY BELOW.  When not prepared properly, Cassava is highly toxic, as it contains free and bound cyanogenic glucosides.  Cassava can cause severe effects and even death. Historical Uses:  eases the digestive process, prevents constipation and irritable bowel syndrome, promotes strong bones and muscles, boosts energy levels Mystical Attributes:  When travelling, rub seven Cassava leaves gently in your palm until smooth, then tie the creamy leaves into a piece of cloth to tie around your waist to delay the urge to urinate or defecate. Rubbing a slice of Cassava root all over your body daily for seven days will protect you from and remove jinxes and hexes. For a child that suffers with bed-wetting, tie three Cassava leaves around their waist while they sleep for three nights. For protection from gunshot wounds, extract seven Cassava leaves using your right hand. Sew a thread through the leaves and tie them around your right arm close to the shoulder. No matter where afflicted, the leaves will protect you from the wound. A cross of Cassava fiber placed on the hearth protects the home from evil. Mystical Intentions:  protection from hunger, comfort while travelling, relief from bed-wedding, protection from gun-shot wounds, protection from curses and hexes, removal of curses and hexes, protection from evil Other Uses:  BOBA/BUBBLE TEA DIRECTIONS: Place 10 Cassava Root balls into the bottom of a tea cup. Fill the cup with 6-8 ounces of water. Microwave for 2 minutes. Place 1-2 Tbsp Taro root herb into a tea ball, and steep the tea ball in the heated Cassava water for 5-10 minutes. Add milk or cream and sweetener to taste. Serve hot or chilled. Drink just before eating dinner. Tapioca pearls derived from Cassava (known as boba) are used to make falooda, kolak, sago soup, bubble tea, fruit slush, and taho, providing a chewy contrast to sweet and smooth textures. The pearls are most often brown (not white), and are also used in black or green tea drinks, shaved ice drinks, puddings, and cakes. In Brazil, tapioca is used to make a flatbread that resembles a pancake or crepe. The tapioca is moistened, strained through a sieve to become a coarse flour, then sprinkled into a hot griddle or pan. It is eaten then buttered like toast, or filled with cheese, meat, fruit, chocolate, etc. A casabe is a thin flatbread made from the Cassava root without leavening. In eastern Venezuela, it is the chief bread-like staple of indigenous people. Making this is not recommended, as it requires a specialized process to avoid cyanide poisoning. The root resin can be used to manufacture biodegradable bags, gloves, aprons, etc. as a renewable, reusable, recyclable substitute for plastic. The gum starch dissolved in water or in spray cans can be used for starching garments before ironing. In southern Brazil, tapioca pearls are cooked with cinnamon and cloves in red wine to make a dessert called sagu. Fine-grained sour tapioca starch is mixed with hard cheese (usually Minas cheese or parmesan), eggs and butter, then baked in the oven to make “cheese bread”, or pao de queijo. Toasted Cassava flour is mixed into mashed beans to make a dish called tutu de feijoa. In Southeast Asia, the root is cut into slices, wedges or strips, fried, and served as chips, wedges or French fries. In Thailand, large blocks are boiled until soft, then served with grated coconut, slightly sweetened or salted, and with palm sugar syrup as a dessert. The powder and flakes are used as a thickener for soups, other liquid foods, and pies. The powder is used as a binder in pharmaceutical tablets and natural paints. In Indonesia, tapioca starch is used to make traditional crackers called Krupuk. In Northeast India, dried tapioca root is skinned (the skin is not edible for humans), boiled in salt water, dried, powdered into flour, then turned into a dough to make a fired or baked biscuit. In Nigeria, Cassava is grated and dry roasted, then water, sugar, and peanuts are added along with meat or smoked fish. Sometimes hot water is added to make a stew or soup.   Taste & Smell:  Tapioca has a neutral and indistinct flavor and is primarily used for texture or for its high carbohydrate content. The flour is sometimes described as sour, fermented, and musty. But generally, tapioca has no discernible taste or smell. Botany, Cultivation & Harvesting:  Cassava is native to South America, mostly Brazil. But Nigeria is the world’s largest producer of Cassava, while Thailand is the largest exporter. It is a woody perennial shrub, extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its root. It is predominantly consumed in boiled form, but substantial quantities are used to extract the starch called Tapioca. Cassava is one of the most drought tolerant crops, capable of growing on marginal soils. Although it takes 10 months to grow to maturity, the plant is easily propagated, grows well in low-nutrient soils, and can be harvested every two months. The roots are finely ground, to extract the starchy liquid. Following this, the water content is allowed to evaporate and the end-product is a fine white powder. Finally, this powder is made to undergo a manufacturing processes, including sieving under high pressure, to produce bright white, translucent spheres that resemble pearls, therefore giving the name of tapioca pearls. Contraindications & Toxicity: If Cassava is not properly prepared before consumption, it can leave enough residual cyanide to cause acute cyanide intoxication, goiters, ataxia, irreversible paralysis, tropical ataxic neuropathy, or death. Symptoms of acute cyanide intoxication appear 4 or more hours after ingesting raw or poorly processed Cassava. Symptoms may include vertigo, vomiting, and collapse. Death may occur within 1-2 hours. It can be treated easily with an injection of thiosulfate (which makes sulfur available for the patient’s body to detoxify by converting the poisonous cyanide into thiocyanate). Roots, peels, and leaves should not be consumed raw because they contain two cyanogenic glucosides, linamarin and lotaustralin.     Sources: https://spiritartsandherbs.com/sources **IMPORTANT INFORMATON: Products are sold as curio items for entertainment purposes only and based upon historical and magical uses.  We do not imply or guarantee that any items provide specific abilities, powers, outcomes, remedies, or treatments. Any information provided on listings or through private conversation is intended for educational purposes only and are based on historical folklore and traditions, and should not replace the advice of a physician. Use our products at your own risk. By purchasing this item, you understand and release Spirit Arts & Herbs Inc from any liability. No items we sell are for internal use and should never be ingested for any reason. Some may also not be safe for topical application, or even be safe to touch while unprotected. 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