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I remember a tapioca of large slimy blobs 3-4 mm). We have been unable to find it lately (that is, within the last 40 years) and wonder why. My gung-ho #1 Son insists that it is indeed still available (a man sure of almost everything he asserts) and has promised to find us some

My question is this: (a) Why are we unable to find it (be careful in your response because it reflects upon mate Laverne); (b)What is it called


dalehileman
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Sending you a PM, Dale, since the site I found is commercial.

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dale, tapioca has undergone a sea change, no longer a slimey milk pudding type dessert, its now sold (all over NYC and lots of other places) as "bubble tea" a thick, sweet beverage made from tea, sugar, fruit juice and pearls of tapioca (the 'bubbles') served with a oversized straw that allows you to slurp up the pearls and viscous fluid together.
Personally, i dislike tea, (and think its wrong to adulterate good fruit juice with both tea and tapioca.)

it should be noted, the root that tapioca is made with, is naturally very high in cyinide, and tapioca is the result of grinding, washing, drying, cooking, drying (and then re-moistening and cooking again!) the root. all these processes are designed to make the roots safe for human consumption. why any one would choose to eat tapioca (when there are so many other choices available) is beyond me!

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Call me suicidal, but I love tapioca.

Last edited by inselpeter; 02/18/06 02:44 PM.
#154926 02/18/06 03:27 PM
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I use tapioca flour in a recipe for pćo de queijo.

Completely different thang, I know.

#154927 02/18/06 04:37 PM
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Jackie: Thank you but what is a PM

Helen: Thank you kindly for that tidbit. If you drink it using a straw, I'm wondering if the bubbles form themselves so as to navigate tubing smaller than, say 3 mm. Us engineers think about stuff like that

Father: I didn't even know what pearled barely is. But Laverne, who is much smarter than I, says we eat it "all the time"

Gon: She says, however, it isn't big and slimy like the tapioca. OT but thank you for getting us started on it

Peter: me too; while I am delighted that my object is alive and well, is called "large pearl tapioca," and my No. 1 Son is dispatching us 5 lb

But why suicidal


dalehileman
#154928 02/18/06 09:26 PM
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Dale, the NYTimes had an article last summer on bubble tea, and touched on the straws, and the size of the straw used to drink the tea.

Optimally the pearls of tapioca should be just slightly smaller than the straw.. they should be small enough to be sucked up the straw, but not so small that you get too many at one time.. (it was the engineering of the straws that intreigued me, too, since i have no interest in drinking the stuff.)

i suspect it was a sunday magazine food article (i am more likely to read them then the wednesday food section ones)
the NYTimes has made it harder to search their archive (for free) but most of the magazine is usually available.

tapioca is one of those love/hate foods. (and i have stated my view!) but it was still interesting to read about the 'bubble tea' fad.
(i hope i made it clear, the 'bubbles' aren't bubbles (of air) but the translucent pearls of tapioca suspended in the thickened, but still fluid beverage, that look like bubbles.

#154929 02/18/06 10:53 PM
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>the thickened, but still fluid beverage,

That'd be a borderline colloid. Also known as the dog of the hair.


TEd
#154930 02/18/06 11:13 PM
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Helen, thank you. After we get it and we have guests over, we shall have it for desert, with a straw beside every plate


dalehileman
#154931 02/19/06 06:50 PM
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Jackie: Thank you but what is a PM


private message... as in "you've got mail of the bulletin board kind".

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