Is Tapioca Vegan?
A vegan lifestyle is about being conscious of everything that goes into our lifestyle. Be it our food habit, the outfits we wear, or the skincare items we use. We bump into extra food every day and it’s difficult to know about those at all. So it’s better to keep educating ourselves on this so we can do justice to the lifestyle we chose. Tapioca is a food that is commonly misunderstood. So we will eradicate misconceptions and talk if tapioca is vegan or not.
What is tapioca?
Just like the potato and flour, tapioca is a starchy substance. I extract it from the root of cassava. It contains pure carbs but does not have many other nutrients. And the most exciting thing is that it does not have gluten in it. Celiac people will enjoy unique things made of tapioca. There are so many recipes that are tasty and easy to make with it.
How is tapioca made?
To put things easily, tapioca is made by squeezing the root of cassava. The process is not as easy as it sounds. After squeezing the root we see starchy liquid-like consistency. That water has to evaporate so you get the fresh ultimate product. After the water fully evaporates, you will see beautiful pearls that are called tapioca.
Also read: Is Hummus Vegan?
Is tapioca vegan?
As you can see the production of tapioca involves no amount of animal products in it. So you can be sure that tapioca is vegan. The texture of the pearl confuses people because it looks like it contains gluten.
But the truth is tapioca is fully vegan, and the texture is by itself like gelatin. The texture makes it more interesting to eat. You can make tapioca pudding, mango tapioca, and tapioca bread. You can play with the recipes to match it with your taste.
Is bubble tea made with tapioca vegan?
Vegans encounter with tapioca mostly because of the bubble tea. Bubble tea is a Taiwanese recipe that is loved by people all over the world. The tapioca seats at the bottom of the tea and it makes the tea look interesting.
It’s difficult to answer the question if bubble tea is vegan or not. Because in some situations it’s vegan and in other situations, it’s not.
There are two types of bubble tea that we see. One is a fruit drink that is made with fruit syrup. And they make the other of milk. Some bubble tea has both the fruit syrup and the cow’s milk both. So you have to ask the maker what the bubble tea has in it.
Or just tell them to make it vegan for you. The fruit syrup-based bubble tea will be vegan friendly. If you want to have bubble tea with milk, then ask for a vegan alternative like coconut milk. It’s so tasty that you won’t regret it.
Also Read: Are Corn Tortillas Vegan or not?
Is tapioca bad for our mother nature?
As said earlier, veganism is not just a food habit we just picked to save animal lives. It’s a lifestyle we believe in and it has certain ethics to follow. We care about our mother nature as much as we do to the animals.
As we can see that tapioca is made from cutting down a tree and then squeezing the roots. But the concern is not here. To produce these balls there is a lot of water that we need. We already have a drought in the world and do not want to burden anymore in it.
If you do not consider the water problem, then the other problem is that tapioca contains cyanide. Cyanide goes away in the process of production, but the waste contains that cyanide. And it can cause harm to the animals in the sea or nature.
Final thoughts
Tapioca fulfills the standards of vegan food as it does not contain animal products. But it is not environmentally safe for nature and animals. Vegans do not just care about the food they eat. It involves them in ensuring animal rights, which tapioca industries cannot ensure in most cases.
Now the decision is yours. So next time you enjoy tapioca pudding, judge these situations. So finally we can say, Tapioca is definitely a vegan food.
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