page_title: Tapioca
section_title: Kerala
hierarchical_section_title: Tapioca / Regional applications / Asia / India / Kerala
caption_attribution_description: English: Cooked cassava dish
context_page_description: Tapioca is a starch extracted from the storage roots of the cassava plant. This species is native to the north region and central-west region of Brazil, but its use spread throughout South America. The plant was carried by Portuguese and Spanish colonisers to most of the West Indies and Africa and Asia. It is a perennial shrub adapted to the hot conditions of tropical lowlands. Cassava copes better with poor soils than many other food plants.
  Although tapioca is a staple food for millions of people in tropical countries, it provides only carbohydrate food value, and is low in protein, vitamins and minerals. In other countries, it is used as a thickening agent in various manufactured foods.
context_section_description: Cassava is referred to as Tapioca in Indian English usage. Cooked cassava is called kappa or maricheeni in Malayalam, the language spoken by 38 million people in the South Indian state of Keralam.
  It was introduced in 1880-1885 C.E. by the then Maharaja of Travancore Vishakham Thirunal Rama Varma after a great famine hit the kingdom, as a substitute for rice. 
  Tapioca is widely consumed across Kerala. It is taken as breakfast or as a staple food. It is boiled (after skinning and cutting it into large cakes of about 6–8 cm (2.4–3.1 in) long or into small 2 cm (0.79 in) cubes) in water till properly cooked, and the water is drained off. Once cooked, it can be mixed with grated coconut, chili, salt, turmeric etc., then steamed and mashed into a dry pudding. This can be garnished in oil with mustard, onion, curry leaves etc. if desired. Tapioca cakes (chendan kappa) are often eaten with simple chili sauce (a paste of Green/Red Chili + Shallot + small red Onion + Garlic + Salt + Oil).
  Mashed tapioca is paired with meat  or fish curry, especially sardines, as a delicacy in Kerala. Mashed tapioca with dried salted sardines directly cooked on charcoal and green chili is another popular combination.
  Tapioca can be stored for longer periods by parboiling and drying it, after skinning and slicing it into 0.5 cm thick pieces. This is called unakka kappa (dried tapioca). Tapioca chips, thinly sliced tapioca wafers, similar to potato chips, are also popular.
caption: Cooked cassava dish from Kerala, India
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