In culinary, tapioca is commonly used as a food thickener. One of the most popular tapioca recipes is a pudding made with milk and pearls from a special tapioca product. The name comes from the American word "tipi'oka", which is the local name for starch from cassava roots. However, tapioca has various names around the globe, such as mandioca, yuca, kappa, or cassava. Tapioca is turned into granules through a special processing method. They can be colored, but other forms of tapioca are typically white. That is why they are often called pearls and are used in various culinary recipes for dishes and beverages.