Tapioca — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

A lacy, translucent crepe made from hydrated tapioca starch, cooked dry on a griddle until the edges crisp and the center turns chewy, folded around sweet or savory fillings.

Ingredients

200g tapioca starch (goma de tapioca or polvilho)
Water for hydrating
Pinch of salt
Savory filling: 100g coalho cheese or mozzarella, shredded
50g shredded chicken or dried beef
Butter
Sweet filling: shredded coconut
condensed milk
banana slices
Nutella

Instructions

1 Hydrate tapioca starch: sprinkle water over the starch gradually, rubbing with your fingers until it feels like damp sand. It should clump when squeezed but not be wet.
2 Pass the hydrated tapioca through a fine-mesh sieve to remove lumps and create a fine, fluffy powder.
3 Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Do not add oil.
4 Sprinkle a thin, even layer of tapioca through the sieve directly onto the hot skillet, forming a circle about 20cm wide.
5 Cook for 1-2 minutes until the edges lift and the bottom is lightly golden. The starch granules will fuse together into a lacy crepe.
6 Add your chosen filling to one half — cheese, chicken, coconut, or sweet fillings.
7 Fold in half, press gently, and cook 1 more minute. Serve immediately while hot and chewy.

Did You Know?

In northeastern Brazil, tapioca vendors called "tapioqueiros" set up stands on beaches and street corners, and the crepe has become Brazil's most popular gluten-free alternative to bread.