Wikipedia Article About Tapioca starch on Wikipedia Cassava flour (tapioca flour) is commonly used as a food thickener, and is also used as a binder in pharmaceutical tablets. In Malaysia, fried tapioca crisps are one of the many selections found in the local snack kacang putih. Cassava flour can also replace wheat flour, and is so-used by some people with allergies to other grain crops. Tapioca and foufou are made from the starchy cassava root flour. Boba tapioca pearls are made from this root.