Tapioca

Tapioca, the partly-torrefied, agglomerated starch of the Cassava or Manihot, forming a light, pleasant farinaceous food. It is prepared, in Brazil, Peru, Guiana, Africa and Penang, from the large tubers of the euphorbiaceous M. utilissima, the Bitter, and M. Aipi, the Sweet Cassava, and contains 83 per cent of starch. Its starch is partly converted into dextrine in the process of manufacture, which consists in heating the cassava starch on iron plates. An imitation is prepared from potato-starch. We import about £3,000 worth from Brazil, and other qualities from Singapore, the varieties being known as "flake," "pearl," and "flour." Our imports altogether exceed 7,000 tons annnally.