Search: tapioca
Why: The guy on "Good Eats" is using tapioca flour to make apple pie.
Answer: A flavorless, colorless, odorless starch extracted from the root of the plant species Manihot esculenta, AKA cassava, manioc, boba, and yuca (but not yucca). It is protein-free and gluten-free, and it is used as a staple food in some regions. Commercially, the starch is processed into several forms: powder, fine or coarse flakes or meal ("flour"), sticks, and "pearls." The pearls come in pudding and novelty tea. The sticks look like this:
Source: Wikipedia
The More You Know: In Southeast Asia, the cassava root is commonly cut into slices, wedges or strips, fried, and served as a snack, similar to potato chips, wedges or french fries. Another method is to boil large blocks until soft, and served with grated coconut as a dessert, either slightly salted or sweetened, usually with palm sugar syrup. How versatile!
