Tapioca starch/flour is most often used to thicken glazes, sauces, gravies and baked goods.
It stays stable in cold temperatures, so it is good to use for foods that will be frozen.
Use tapioca starch instead of arrowroot flour in gravies or other dairy-based recipes.
Tapioca is not recommended for use with high acid foods because it loses its ability to thicken when mixed with acidity.
Liquids thickened with tapioca will have a transparent sheen which adds to the presentation of many foods.
Tapioca has very little taste of its own, so it will not interfere with the taste of a recipe
Tapioca can withstand being heated for a long period of time, which is an important difference from arrowroot.
Some cooks like to use pearl tapioca in pies and puddings, but take note that these pearls often do not fully dissolve, so it is recommended to use the starch to ensure the tapioca completely dissolves, unless you want the added texture.
To avoid clumping, tapioca starch should be mixed with cold water before adding it to your hot mixture to thicken. It can be added at the end of the cooking process and thicken very quickly.