Tapioca | Definition, Uses, & Facts - Britannica

Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos tapioca Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics Images Quizzes A World of Food Quiz What’s on the Menu? Vocabulary Quiz Ultimate Foodie Quiz Contents Entertainment & Pop Culture Food CITE verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/tapioca Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

• Healthline - What is Tapioca and what is it good for?
• WebMD - Tapioca - Uses, Side Effects, and More
• The Spruce Eats - What Is Tapioca?
• Food and Wine - How to Use Tapioca
• National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Cross-linked modification of tapioca starch by sodium Trimetaphosphate: An influence on its structure
• Verywell Fit - Tapioca Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits
• IOPscience - IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science -Production and physicochemical characterization of modified tapioca (PDF)

Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

• tapioca - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

tapioca food Ask Anything Homework Help Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Jan. 7, 2026 •History Britannica AI Ask Anything Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything

tapioca, a preparation of cassava root starch used as a food, in bread or as a thickening agent in liquid foods, notably puddings but also soups and juicy pies.

In processing, heat ruptures the starch grains, converting them to small irregular masses that are further baked into flake tapioca. A pellet form, known as pearl tapioca, is made by forcing the moist starch through sieves. Granulated tapioca, marketed in various-sized grains and sometimes called “manioca,” is produced by grinding flake tapioca. When cooked, tapioca swells into a pale, translucent jelly.

Related Topics: cassava food granulated tapioca pearl tapioca thickening (Show more) See all related content

The cassava plant, or manioc, is native to the West Indies and to South America, where its roots are ground into meal and then baked into thin cakes. Tapioca became a common Asian food after the cassava was introduced into that part of the world during the 19th century. In Thailand a pudding is made of tapioca and coconut, and tapioca paste is rolled into balls and dried to be eaten as cereal. The Vietnamese make a kind of thin pancake using tapioca starch. Beverages with tapioca are popular in many parts of Asia.

Britannica Quiz What’s on the Menu? Vocabulary Quiz The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn.