I tried making pudding from it and I MUCH prefer the other kind. It was just...bland. Would it make any difference if I put the dry pearls in a processor first?

Also, what would your favorite savory uses be for the pearls?

Lenona.

On 2014-04-16 3:13 PM, wrote:
> I tried making pudding from it and I MUCH prefer the other kind. It
> was just...bland. Would it make any difference if I put the dry
> pearls in a processor first?


Tapioca is pretty bland stuff. It is basically pure starch. I prefer
pearl tapioca over other forms. It needs to be soaked for a few hours
before cooking. The flavour is in the egg and milk custard in which is
is cooked. Some good vanilla helps.

Thanks for the reminder about tapioca. I have a little of milk in the
fridge that I bought two weeks ago. I should make some tapioca pudding
to use it up.


> Also, what would your favorite savory uses be for the pearls?
>
Never had one, but apparently there are some cultures where it is used
withe meat, cheese or pepper.

In article >,
says...
>
> I tried making pudding from it and I MUCH prefer the other kind. It was just...bland. Would it make any difference if I put the dry pearls in a processor first?
>
> Also, what would your favorite savory uses be for the pearls?
>
> Lenona.

My favourite use would be to keep them in the pack, to keep the pack at
the supermarket and to have a Marmite and Wensleydale sandwich instead.

I have dreadful memories of "frog's spawn" from my youth!

lenona321wrote:
>
>I tried making pudding from it and I MUCH prefer the other kind.

What "other kind"?

>It was just...bland. Would it make any difference if I put the
>dry pearls in a processor first?

The whole pearls are the most important part of tapioca pudding,
otherwise use cornstarch. Tapioca is just starch, has no flavor, has
to be flavored just like other puddings. However odds are what you
have is likely sago palm, not tapioca... nowadays most tapioca is
actually sago... check the package label.

On Wed, 16 Apr 2014 21:21:13 +0100, Yellow > wrote:

>In article >,
says...
>>
>> I tried making pudding from it and I MUCH prefer the other kind. It was just...bland. Would it make any difference if I put the dry pearls in a processor first?
>>
>> Also, what would your favorite savory uses be for the pearls?
>>
>> Lenona.
>
>My favourite use would be to keep them in the pack, to keep the pack at
>the supermarket and to have a Marmite and Wensleydale sandwich instead.
>
>I have dreadful memories of "frog's spawn" from my youth!

Fish eggs and glue! Every time I hear about tapioca that's what I
think of!

I loved tapioca pudding as a kid, and probably still would. Love me
some fish eggs and glue! :-)

John Kuthe...

On 2014-04-16 4:21 PM, Yellow wrote:

> My favourite use would be to keep them in the pack, to keep the pack at
> the supermarket and to have a Marmite and Wensleydale sandwich instead.
>
> I have dreadful memories of "frog's spawn" from my youth!
>


I liked people like you when we had "fish eyes and glue" because there
was more for me. I always liked it and still to. In fact, after my
earlier reply in the thread I made some.

wrote:
>
> I tried making pudding from it and I MUCH prefer the other kind. It was just...bland. Would it make any difference if I put the dry pearls in a processor first?

Why would you think that putting the tapioca in a blender would change
the taste? It will change the texture but not taste.

If you want a good tapioca pudding, buy the brand made by "Kozy Shack"
in the cold section of your store. It's called, "Old Fashioned Tapioca
Pudding." If you like that, you won't likely even want to make your
own anymore. I like it.

If you DO like that and still want to make your own, use their
ingredient list to copy and maybe alter to your taste.

G.

On 16/04/2014 1:21 PM, Yellow wrote:
> In article >,
> says...
>>
>> I tried making pudding from it and I MUCH prefer the other kind. It was just...bland. Would it make any difference if I put the dry pearls in a processor first?
>>
>> Also, what would your favorite savory uses be for the pearls?
>>
>> Lenona.
>
> My favourite use would be to keep them in the pack, to keep the pack at
> the supermarket and to have a Marmite and Wensleydale sandwich instead.
>
> I have dreadful memories of "frog's spawn" from my youth!
>
I always liked it at school and could never understand why the other
kids turned up their noses.
It was always served with a dollop of jam.
Graham

"Dave Smith" > wrote in message
...
> On 2014-04-16 3:13 PM, wrote:
>> I tried making pudding from it and I MUCH prefer the other kind. It
>> was just...bland. Would it make any difference if I put the dry
>> pearls in a processor first?
>
>
> Tapioca is pretty bland stuff. It is basically pure starch. I prefer
> pearl tapioca over other forms. It needs to be soaked for a few hours
> before cooking. The flavour is in the egg and milk custard in which is is
> cooked. Some good vanilla helps.
>
> Thanks for the reminder about tapioca. I have a little of milk in the
> fridge that I bought two weeks ago. I should make some tapioca pudding to
> use it up.
>
>
>> Also, what would your favorite savory uses be for the pearls?
>>
> Never had one, but apparently there are some cultures where it is used
> withe meat, cheese or pepper.

We used to call it 'frogspawn' pudding


--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/shop/

On Thursday, April 17, 2014 6:26:07 AM UTC+10, Brooklyn1 wrote:
>
> However odds are what you
> have is likely sago palm, not tapioca... nowadays most tapioca is
> actually sago... check the package label.

Other way around: most "sago" is made from tapioca. Also most "arrowroot" is tapioca starch. Because tapioca starch is cheaper. Tapioca = cassava starch. About 1/4 billion tons of cassava grown per year, vs much less sago. Cheaper.

> wrote in message
...
>I tried making pudding from it and I MUCH prefer the other kind. It was
>just...bland. Would it make any difference if I put the dry pearls in a
>processor first?
>
> Also, what would your favorite savory uses be for the pearls?

I don't personally like tapioca in savory things. I had a recipe that said
to add it to Crock-Pot roast. Ruined the dish.

wrote:
> I tried making pudding from it and I MUCH prefer the other kind. It
> was just...bland. Would it make any difference if I put the dry
> pearls in a processor first?
>
> Also, what would your favorite savory uses be for the pearls?
>
> Lenona.

Why not just buy tapioca flour? The pearls are, btw, great for making
Bubble Tea at home - a batch lasts up to 2 weeks in the 'frig for us -
but that's the only thing I've ever used them for.

Hmmm - we haven't done Bubble Tea here in a few summers - I think it's
going to be time again this year.

-S-

Timo wrote:
>Brooklyn1 wrote:
>>
>> However odds are what you
>> have is likely sago palm, not tapioca... nowadays most tapioca is
>> actually sago... check the package label.
>
>Other way around: most "sago" is made from tapioca.

Not... each is its own product, neither pretends to be the other.
However in the US most people refer to those pearls as tapioca
regardless of their source. Both are a crop and some years one is far
more available than the other, so even though a package is labeled
tapioca pudding its ingredients list would say sago. Also tapioca
costs more to process, the root of the cassava plant is toxic, ergo
tapioca pearls cost a bit more than sago pearls. Years ago I shopped
at a neighborhood Indian market, they sold several brands and
different sizes of tapioca pearls... the package said "Tapioca Pearls"
but in small print on the back it said "sago palm", When using either
in a recipe the results are indistinguishable. Here you can see what
I'm talking about: http://tinyurl.com/oz5anzw
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&key...l_3ofqzm3ym5_e

On Friday, April 18, 2014 2:26:23 AM UTC+10, Brooklyn1 wrote:
> Timo wrote:
> >Brooklyn1 wrote:
> >>
> >> However odds are what you
> >> have is likely sago palm, not tapioca... nowadays most tapioca is
> >> actually sago... check the package label.
> >
> >Other way around: most "sago" is made from tapioca.
>
> Not... each is its own product, neither pretends to be the other.


> Here you can see what
> I'm talking about: http://tinyurl.com/oz5anzw
> http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&key...l_3ofqzm3ym5_e

Congatulations! You found a bunch of products that are labelled "sago", but are made from cassava. (The Ajika makes a point out of being made from sago, not tapioca, but the ingedients list on the Ajika website says "tapioca".)

> Also tapioca
> costs more to process, the root of the cassava plant is toxic, ergo
> tapioca pearls cost a bit more than sago pearls.

Some varieties. There are non-toxic varieties ("sweet cassava").

Tapioca starch prices fluctuate, mostly depending on the cassava crop. Sago cultivation has increased a lot in recent years, and depending on tapioca starch prices, either sago or tapioca starch can be cheaper.