15 Best Rated Dishes With Tapioca

Pempek is a traditional fish cake made with ground fish meat and tapioca. The actual origin of this dish is the city of Palembang, situated in the South Sumatra province. The origin story of pempek says that an old Palembang citizen was tired of the traditional fried or grilled fish, so he thought of an innovative way to ground the meat, mix it with tapioca flour, and deep-fry it to get a crunchy and delicious snack.

He then used to cycle through the city and sell the fish cakes to Palembang citizens. Over time, pempek was recognized as a praise-worthy snack, and today it is considered to be a traditional Indonesian delicacy. These round or rectangular cakes are usually steamed, and right before serving they are fried in vegetable oil and cut into bite-sized pieces. 

These translucent Vietnamese dumplings are usually prepared with tapioca-based wrappers and a filling which typically combines shrimps and fatty pork. The dumplings can be cooked or wrapped in banana leaves and then steamed. They are traditionally served with a fish-based dipping sauce on the side.

It is believed that bánh bột lọc originated in Huế – the ancient imperial city known for its balanced, sophisticated specialties.

Taho is a sweet Filipino dessert which consists of fresh soft tofu doused in arnibal syrup and sprinkled with plump sago pearls. Similar desserts can be found in numerous Asian countries, and most of them call for the usage of the softest tofu variety, known as silky tofu, which has a tender and creamy texture and an incredibly soft consistency.

Shortly heated or steamed, it is covered in sweet arnibal syrup (made with melted brown sugar) and enriched with mild vanilla flavors. Usually, the dessert is topped with chewy sago pearls which are similar in appearance and texture to tapioca. Taho is usually sold by street vendors who sell this traditional delicacy in the early morning as a sweet, protein-packed breakfast.

These crispy Indian fritters consist of a combination of soaked tapioca pearls, mashed potatoes, roasted and crushed peanuts, and a variety of spices such as turmeric, chili, ginger, and fresh coriander. Sabudana vada fritters can be found at many stalls throughout Maharashtra and are especially popular in Mumbai.

Since they do not contain meat, the fritters are a favorite fasting snack. Sabudana vada is typically served hot, paired with yogurt or chutney.

Sago pearls (also known as tapioca pearls) in coconut milk are a type of Cantonese tong sui (lit. sugar water; dessert soup). This simple treat can be found in many dim-sum eateries in Guangzhou and Hong Kong, where it is served as a perfect ending to a meal.

Also, for a refreshing summer dessert, sao mai lo is often mixed with fresh fruits like mango, pomelo and strawberries.

This traditional Vietnamese dessert consists of chewy layers that are typically made with puréed mung beans, tapioca starch, rice flour, and coconut milk or water. Traditionally, each cake has a pale yellow layer made with mung beans and a green layer that is flavored and colored with pandan leaves, while optional ingredients include durian or taro.

Once steamed and chilled, the cake is usually cut into diamond shapes.

Believed to have been invented by the Sundanese ethnic group, cireng fritters are a common street food item that is prepared with tapioca flour or sago starch. Apart from the main ingredients, the fritters consist of various additions that typically include garlic, scallions, and different seasonings, while modern-day varieties also incorporate meat or sausages.

Cireng fritters are characterized by their round shape, pale color, and a crispy exterior, while the center remains soft and chewy. They are usually sold at numerous street stands and are best enjoyed freshly prepared, accompanied by soy sauce or chili-based sauces.

Ruam mit is a popular Thai dessert made with ingredients such as coconut milk, sugar, tapioca pearls, corn, lotus root, sweet potatoes, beans, and jackfruit. Each bowl typically includes starchy noodles that are flavored and colored with various ingredients, and which may come in the shape of thin strips or more elaborate decorative forms.

There is no set recipe for ruam mit, so each cook or street vendor adds their own ingredients to the mix. It is often consumed as a cool refreshment on hot summer days, topped with shaved ice. In Thailand, it is one of the cheapest desserts, and each bowl typically costs around 15 baht. 

The name falooda refers to a refreshing Indian dessert that consists of thin falooda noodles, which are usually produced from cornstarch, sago, wheat, or arrowroot, and ingredients such as tapioca pearls, jelly, rose syrup, milk, and soaked saba (sweet basil) seeds.

All the ingredients are typically layered in dessert glasses, and the whole dessert is occasionally topped with ice cream, dry fruits, or chopped nuts, and is alternatively eaten with a spoon and slowly sipped. Though it is eaten throughout India, the origins of falooda derive from ancient Persia, and a similar item is still found in Iran, where it goes under the name faloodeh.