Tapioca starch (also sold as tapioca flour) is the pure starch washed from the root of cassava (Manihot esculenta). A fine, bright-white, neutral-tasting powder, it thickens into an exceptionally clear, glossy, slightly cohesive gel — the go-to starch when a sauce, glaze or fruit filling must stay transparent and shiny rather than turning cloudy and pasty. It is also the backbone of chewy gluten-free breads (Brazilian pão de queijo), boba pearls and many Asian sweets.
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