Tapioca is grown in many regions of the world. It is quite easy to grow this plant that has many uses, especially as a food source. The tree can grow from mature woody stems and just needs to be planted in the ground. New leaves would begin to grow on these mature stems after a few days. Once the tapioca plant is old enough and the tubers are ready for harvest, they are normally dug out of the ground. The entire group of tubers would stick together when pulled out.
For some society, tapioca is a stable food and can be prepared in many different ways. Powdered dried tapioca tubers are often used as a thickening agent. These inexpensive powdered tapioca tubers are readily available at most hypermarkets and convenience stores. The starch from the root extract of the plant is well suited for making many kinds of cakes (kuih). It is also gluten free. Therefore, the by-products of this plant are often used in the preparation of vegan or vegetarian foods. Tapioca can be fried, made into soups, stews, dumplings, and cooked with meat. Crispy chips made with tapioca roots are tasty. Aside from that, tapioca can also be made into alcoholic beverages like Sakura or nijimanche (sweet beer).
However, tapioca tubers and leaves contain cinogenic glycosides that can cause acute cyanide poisoning if not properly prepared. Raw tapioca should not be eaten. The toxin found in the red-branched variety is less harmful than the green-branched ones. Toxin levels are high during drought. If it rains too much during harvest, the tubers can have a tinge of stagnant pond water odor.
China is exploring the potential of cassava as a biofuel. The largest cassava ethanol fuel plant started operations in Beihai, China in 2007. Cassava biofuel may replace our regular petroleum fuel in the future. If this happens then we would have a much more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional petroleum fuel.
In Indonesia, dishes made from young tapioca shoots are very popular. Since the leaves contain toxins, they must be boiled in water before consumption. Tapioca leaves taste delicious with fresh hot chili peppers. The leaves contain very little protein but have a high fiber composition. The toxin effect of eating the leaves has not been thoroughly investigated by scientists. The leaves may be the key to preventing the global food shortage crisis or they may be effective for weight loss.