Arrowroot is an easily digested, unrefined starch obtained from the roots of the Maranta arundinacea.

Botanical name: Maranta arundinacea L.

Its use has been traced as far back as the 1600s. The Arawak, a people native to the Caribbean Islands, considered arrowroot a dietary staple. They called it "aru-aru," meaning "meal of meals." The Arawak also valued the plant for its healing properties. They used the tubers to draw poison from wounds inflicted by poisonous arrows. Early European settlers of the New World observed this practice, named the plant "arrow-root," and brought it back to Europe where it eventually became popular. Tapioca and other starches are sometimes mislabled as arrowroot. We microscopically check the structure of the starch cells of our arrowroot to insure it has not been adulterated with other starches.

Arrowroot and tapioca starch are very similar in source, manufacture and paste characteristics. As a result they are often confused. In fact, much of the commercial "arrowroot" available is actually a variety of tapioca. This misnaming is a disservice to the consumer for two reasons. First, true arrowroot requires more processing than tapioca starch and is therefore more expensive. Second, arrowroot and tapioca come from different plants. (Tapioca comes from the root of the cassava plant, Manihot utilissima or Manihot esculenta.) According to the FDA's Compliance Policy Guides (CPG) the term "arrowroot" may only be used to designate starch obtained from the roots of the Maranta arundinacea. The CPG specifies that other starches should be designated by some non-misleading term that indicates their source, for example "tapioca starch." (The exception to this is corn starch, which may simply be labeled "starch.")

Because of the common confusion in terms, when manufacturers import "arrowroot," the burden of verification falls to them. Verification can be made through microscopic evaluation and familiarity with the characteristic shape and appearance of arrowroot and other starch grains. (In general, arrowroot starch granules are larger than tapioca starch granules.) The extent of mislabeling indicates that some manufacturers lack the desire or the expertise to properly identify their products.

The Maranta arundinacea is a perennial which grows for 6-12 months before harvest. Root harvesting is generally done manually and tubers must be fully processed within 48 hours of harvest or they will rot. After being soaked in hot water, the tubers are peeled to remove their fibrous covering (this prevents a bitter taste and off-color in the final product.) Next they're cut into small pieces. The cut tubers are then mashed to a pulp and macerated to break down the tough cells surrounding the starch.

The pulp is washed on screens to separate the starch from the fibrous material. The settled starch is then centrifuged or filtered to further separate it from fiber fines and other soluble material (this process can be repeated to obtain greater purity). The separated starch is finally dried and ground to powder. Of the more than 20% starch that the original root contains, 17-18% can be extracted if the process is done correctly.

How to Tell if the Arrowroot You're Buying Is True Arrowroot
If honestly designated, the country of origin will indicate whether the product is true arrowroot from Saint Vincent, but too often that information will be missing or misrepresented on a product that isn't genuine.

It's difficult to identify most adulterations with the naked eye. If you're serious about avoiding a mislabeled product, ask your manufacturer whether they do microscopic analysis on their arrowroot, and ask to see their results.

Directions: Before adding arrowroot to hot liquids, it should be mixed with cool-warm water or your cooking liquid (also cool-warm) to form a paste and gradually added to the recipe. The starch doesn't hold its thickness for long periods of time, so foods should be served immediately; reheating will also cause a loss of thickening.

For General use: 1 T. product will thicken 1 c. of liquid.
As a replacement for flour: 1 1/2 tsp. product is equal to 1 T. of flour.
As a replacement for cornstarch: 2 tsp. of product are equal to 1 T. of cornstarch.

Suggested Uses: Arrowroot is an excellent base for cream sauces, and clear glazes, and it doesn't lose its thickening ability in the presence of acid, like flour does. This quality makes it an excellent choice for thickening acidic fruits.