Tapioca pudding
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tapioca pudding is a common pudding with tapioca pearls added to a vanilla pudding. It can be discerned from other types of pudding by the small, translucent and almost caviar-like orbs of tapioca within. Tapioca is the root of the cassava plant, which is also known as manioc. It requires processing to withdraw either flakes, seeds or pearls of the tapioca plant. Tapioca is native to South and Central America. It is now produced in Africa and Asia.
Tapioca has been considered a healthy food because, as a starch, it is easy to digest. In the eighteenth century it gained popularity for its nutritive properties. In the nineteenth century, tapioca pudding was often used as a medicine. In 1948, Jell-O produced three flavors of tapioca pudding: vanilla, chocolate, and orange-coconut.
The pudding can be made with either tapioca flakes (tapioca sticks) or pearls, though the pearl version is preferred because it cooks faster. Hong Kong–style tapioca pudding consists of a baked egg custard mixture and thus is much harder than the vanilla variety. A common variation involves placing sweetened adzuki bean paste at the bottom.
