Cassava → tapioca
Cassava (also called yuca or manioc) is a tropical root vegetable. Tapioca is the purified starch extracted from cassava. Both are naturally gluten free and have no botanical relationship to wheat.
Forms and uses
| Product | What it is | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Tapioca flour / starch | Pure starch from cassava | Thickener, chewy GF baking, binder in flour blends |
| Cassava flour | Whole peeled root, dried + ground | 1:1 wheat-flour-like replacement (Otto’s Naturals, Bob’s Red Mill) |
| Tapioca pearls (boba) | Tapioca starch rolled into balls | Bubble tea, pudding, fruit juice drinks |
| Instant tapioca / Minute Tapioca | Precooked tapioca granules | Quick pudding, pie filling thickener |
| Tapioca syrup | Hydrolyzed tapioca starch | Natural sweetener in bars and yogurts |
Top certified GF brands
- Bob’s Red Mill Tapioca Flour (GFCO)
- Anthony’s Tapioca Flour
- Otto’s Naturals Cassava Flour
- Wedo Gluten-Free
- King Arthur Cassava Flour
Boba tea note
The tapioca pearls themselves are gluten free. The brown sugar, condensed milk, and tea are GF. The risk: shared kitchen utensils with wheat-based items (cookie crumb toppings, wheat-based syrups in flavored shops). Most boba shops are celiac-safe with a clean order.
Tapioca as a wheat-flour substitute
Cassava flour is the closest 1:1 wheat-flour replacement that exists — same texture, same hydration, neutral flavor. It’s expensive ($8–12/lb) but reliable for GF tortillas, pizza dough, and pasta.
Sources
- Cassava and Tapioca: Production and Use — Food Chemistry (2018)
- Is Tapioca Gluten Free? — Beyond Celiac (2024)