My own surplus cassava roots become flour and starch for a small regional market, but the global tapioca market operates on a literally different scale, moving millions of tonnes between Thailand, China, and buyers across dozens of countries every year.

Tapioca and cassava starch genuinely mean the exact same thing in most kitchens, yet one page on this site covers 16 industrial uses spanning bioplastics to pharmaceuticals, while the actual everyday cooking side rarely gets that same real depth here.

One ingredient, three names, and a reach most people never notice. Tapioca thickens your pie, gives bubble tea its chew, and quietly powers pharmaceutical tablets and cardboard glue. Few people realize all three trace back to one humble tropical root.