Arrowroot facts for kids
Arrowroot is a special kind of starch. It comes from the underground stems, called rhizomes, of several tropical plants. The most common one is Maranta arundinacea. Other plants like Florida arrowroot and tapioca (from cassava) are also sometimes called arrowroot. You might also hear about Polynesian arrowroot or Japanese arrowroot, also known as kudzu. In India, it's called palua.
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History of Arrowroot
Scientists have found signs that people were growing arrowroot in the Americas as far back as 7,000 years ago. The name "arrowroot" might come from "aru-aru," which means "meal of meals" in the language of the Arawak people. For them, this plant was a very important food. Another idea is that it got its name because it was used to treat wounds from poison arrows. People believed it could help draw out the poison.
In the past, arrowroot was even used to make carbonless copy paper. It had a very fine texture, which was perfect for this. However, once people found cheaper ways to process other flours, arrowroot was no longer used for making paper.
How Arrowroot is Used
Growing Arrowroot in Saint Vincent
Saint Vincent is an island with a long history of growing arrowroot. The Carib and Garifuna peoples first used it as food and medicine. Later, from 1900 to 1965, it became a major export for the island. In the 1930s, it was an important product in trade. When the sugar industry slowed down, arrowroot growing helped the island's economy.
Today, most arrowroot farms are in the northern part of Saint Vincent, especially near the Owia area. This is also where many people of Carib descent live. In 1998/99, the island produced about 312,000 lb of starch. This was much less than its peak in the 1960s. Back then, the arrowroot industry made up almost half of the country's export earnings. It was also the main source of jobs and income for many people from the 1930s to the 1960s.
Arrowroot plants grow from their rhizomes. Farmers grow them on the eastern side of Saint Vincent's highlands, up to 300 meters high. About 3,700 ha of land are used for arrowroot, and small farmers grow most of it. The arrowroot plant is very tough and doesn't need much special care. Saint Vincent has perfect conditions for growing it: deep, well-drained, slightly acidic soils, and a hot, humid climate. Some farmers use shifting cultivation, growing it on cleared forest slopes.
The harvesting season is from October to May. Farmers break off the rhizomes from the plant's shoots. When they harvest the rhizomes, they also replant the shoots at the same time. Many women workers help with harvesting and other tasks. Recently, machines have been introduced to help harvest arrowroot faster. Six factories on the island process the arrowroot. The biggest ones are in Belle Vue and Owia.
Making Arrowroot Starch
Arrowroot tubers (the parts that grow underground) contain about 23% starch. First, they are washed and cleaned. It's important to remove the paper-like skin carefully, because it can make the starch taste bad. After cleaning, the roots are washed again, drained, and then crushed into a pulp. This can be done by beating them in mortars or using a special machine.
The milky liquid that comes out is then passed through a cloth or sieve. The pure starch, which doesn't dissolve in water, settles at the bottom. This wet starch is then dried in the sun or in a drying room. The final product is a white powder, which is the "arrowroot" you see in stores. It's quickly packed into airtight containers to keep it fresh.
Pure arrowroot starch is a light, white powder. It feels firm to the touch and makes a crackling sound, like fresh snow, when you rub it. When it's dry, it doesn't have a smell. But when you mix it with boiling water, it has a faint, unique odour. When cooked, it turns into a perfect jelly. This makes food very smooth. Sometimes, cheaper starches like potato starch were mixed with arrowroot in the past. These mixed products don't make as smooth a jelly and have larger particles.
Under a microscope, arrowroot starch looks oval-shaped.
Cooking with Arrowroot
Arrowroot can be used in many foods. You can find it in biscuits, puddings, jellies, cakes, and hot sauces. It can also be mixed with beef tea, milk, or veal broth. In Korean and Vietnamese cooking, kudzu arrowroot is used to make noodles. In the past, during the Victorian era, people would boil it with a little flavor. It was an easy-to-digest food for children and people who needed special diets. In Burma, arrowroot tubers are boiled or steamed and eaten with salt and oil.
Arrowroot is great for making fruit gels that look clear and shiny. It also helps stop ice crystals from forming in homemade ice cream. It's a good thickener for foods that are acidic, like East Asian sweet and sour sauce. When you use it in cooking, it makes sauces clear and not cloudy. Other thickeners like cornstarch or flour can make sauces look cloudy.
Because arrowroot flour doesn't have gluten, it's a good choice for people who can't eat wheat flour due to gluten intolerance. However, it has a lot of carbohydrates and not much protein (about 7.7%). So, it's not a complete replacement for wheat flour in things like bread.
Arrowroot thickens at a lower temperature than flour or cornstarch. Acidic ingredients don't weaken it, and freezing doesn't affect it. It also has a very neutral taste. However, it doesn't mix well with dairy products, as it can become slimy. It's best to mix arrowroot with a cool liquid first before adding it to a hot liquid. You should only heat the mixture until it thickens, then remove it from the heat right away. If you overheat it, arrowroot can lose its ability to thicken. You can use two teaspoons of arrowroot instead of one tablespoon of cornstarch, or one teaspoon of arrowroot instead of one tablespoon of wheat flour.
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