I groaned inwardly … and maybe a little outwardly. Tapioca again? You silly people. It’s Christmas, and for dessert we’re supposed to have something festive, exciting, fancy. Or at least with peppermint or chocolate! 

But my brothers – I’m right in the middle, with one older and one younger – have always loved tapioca. Jokingly referred to at times as “fish eyes and frog eggs” (or was it “frog eyes and fish eggs”?), tapioca has long been a staple in my family. 

I don’t remember a time before knowing tapioca might show up at birthdays, family get-togethers, and holidays; there doesn’t exist a time before it. I suppose I should go ahead and clarify what “it” is. 

There are a few layers of definition. Tapioca itself is a type of starch made from cassava, a brown-skinned tuber also known as yuca or manioc. It is essentially tasteless, which makes the powdered starch quite versatile as a thickener or ingredient; it’s especially gotten more popular in the last few years since tapioca is gluten-free and provides crucial structure to alternative baking. It has a unique texture, kind of chewy and stretchy; valued in its native South America for centuries if not millenia, it is now used worldwide.

Side note, don’t eat cassava raw, as it contains cyanide. I love Agatha Christie mysteries and now I’m wondering if tapioca will ever show up as part of a crime. 

The tapioca my family refers to is a prepared pudding-type dessert, made with “pearls” that are created commercially by pushing the starch through a sieve. Dry tapioca in these pellet forms can range from cornmeal-sized granulated flakes to boba pearls almost ½” big. Tapioca puddings usually use a size somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, ending up with cooked pearls similar to rice – or the aforementioned frog eggs. 

The type of sweet dessert henceforth referred to as tapioca can be further broken down into three classifications in my mind. The kind most common to the general American population is the kind least experienced by my family: a rich, creamy, potentially warm, textured custard. Around 1900 a Boston housewife discovered how to make the previously very time-consuming tapioca pudding much more conveniently, and it enjoyed a reign of popularity until about the middle of the century. According to tastingtable.com, “It falls into a category of foods that used to be in demand that nobody eats anymore, like gelatin salad, turtle soup, and meatloaf.” It is clearly not in vogue anymore, sometimes called “boba for old people”... and maybe we should add Mennonites because I’ve definitely seen it around. 

But that’s the wrong kind. The other two “correct” categories I think of are both different styles of cold and fruity: one has Cool Whip, Jell-O powder, and one type of fruit; and the other has a melange of fresh fruit and is orange juice based. My mom always put the creamy one in a tall glass trifle, and it was the requested dessert at my brother’s birthday. The orange juice kind has another standard style of bowl; it was one my grandma’s classics, and has been enjoyed by generations. 

I do have to admit that while not being my first choice, both of those tapiocas are a lighter, more refreshing style of dessert, a perfect pairing to the cookies always present after our family meals. The pearls have this nostalgic, pleasant chew to them, and it’s easy to scoop out a second helping. 

Maybe keeping up old tapioca traditions isn’t such a bad idea after all. My two-year-old nephew’s adorably enthusiastic exclamations of glee at hearing there was tapioca suggests it’ll be around for a while yet. 

As the New Year rolls around and we look forward with new resolutions and new ideas, let’s not forget to take some of the old traditions with us. 

Timeless Orange Tapioca

It would be hard to have an easier dessert, and one that is make-ahead and allergen-friendly to boot. It changes with the seasons, and while Mom has never tried using a different juice concentrate, that sounds like a fun variation too. 

Prep tips: you can use pearl tapioca instead of minute; up the volume to 1 cup. 

• 7 cups water

• ¾ cup minute/instant tapioca

• 1 (12-oz) can frozen orange juice concentrate

• a couple cups of sliced/diced fruit: bananas, blueberries, peaches, mandarin oranges, strawberries, etc.

• optional: white sugar or honey to taste

Put water and tapioca in a medium saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Remove from heat, add orange juice and fruit. Add sugar if desired; serve chilled. 

Amanda Miller lives with her husband, two young children, and whoever else God brings them through foster care on the family dairy farm in Hutchinson. She enjoys doing some catering, teaching cooking classes, and freelancing, but mostly chasing after her kids. Reach her at hyperpeanutbutter@gmail.com.