Here’s something plain but interesting. I think most of us have heard of tapioca, but maybe not had much experience with it. The only real experience I can recall is of tapioca pudding when I was younger. Anyway, here is the actual root in all it’s boring glory. This food is similar to a potato in some ways. It’s very starchy and quite plain by itself. Tapioca is actually the starch extracted from a plant that goes by many names, most commonly cassava. It is found worldwide.
This photo was taken at the Chu Chi tunnels in Vietnam. During the Vietnam War many of the Vietnamese relied almost entirely on tapioca to keep themselves from starving. It’s sometimes dipped in a chili sauce to add a bit of flavor, but otherwise it was quite a bland diet. These days I find it most common in southeast asian desserts.
Tapioca
Cassava
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