Steamed Pudding Recipes - long (OOP) was Re: SC - Spotted D ick/Spotted Dog

[Decker, Terry D.]

Tapioca (Tupi form, typioca) is a Portuguese word derived from the
Tupi-Guarani languages of the Amazon Basin and coastal Brazil.  The word
specifically refers to the beady starch extracted from cassava root.

Sago derives from the Malay sagu, meaning mealy pith.  It is specifically
the starch extracted from the sago palm.

Typioca and sagu both refer to starches which are similar in appearance and
are used in a similar manner.  That the Indonesians equate the terms sago
and tapioca is may be due to a generalization by the Portuguese, who
controlled much of Indonesia in the 16th Century, or may represent a crop
change from sago palm to cassava root, or they may generalize the usage, but
still understand the difference.  I suspect it may be all three. 

Modern Asian tapioca may actually be cassava rather than sago.  Here are a
couple quotes from the Thai Wah Groups website,

http://www.thaiwah.com/

"Tapioca starch is a white and fine powdery material derived by
wet-extraction from the pulped roots of tapioca tubers."

"Tapioca pearl is produced from tapioca starch by making it into small
doughs of fish-eye sizes which are pearl-like. In the old days, it is known
as sago pearl which was produced from sago and is today replaced by
tapioca."

Here is the URL for an economic report on sago production in Sarawak.  The
author differentiates between cassava (tapioca)and sago palms, and provides
insight into why cassava is more commercially feasible,

http://www.econ.upm.edu.my/~peta/sago/sago.html


While Indonesians may use sago and tapioca interchangeably, after a little
quick research, I am certain they know the difference in origins between the
two starches.

Bear


> Ma'af, Tuan Bear, tatapi dalam bahasa Indonesia namanya tapioca itu 
> sagu atau sago. Saya hidup disana kira-kira dua tahun dan waktu saya 
> di Indonesia saya beri sago itu disana sering. Sago itu tapioca di 
> Indonesia.
> 
> OK, translation:
> 
> Excuse me, (honorific) Bear, but in the Indonesian language the word 
> for tapioca is sagu or sago. I lived there approximately two years 
> and while i lived in Indonesia i bought sago there numerous times. 
> "Sago" is tapioca in Indonesia.
> 
> Anahita