Judy: > Is manioc like tapioca? Where do you find it? I've never seen any in NYC. Manioc is a root, with a brown skin, white inside, about 1 foot long and 2 inches diameter. Its other name is "cassava". Tapioca is a processed form of manioc starch (tapioca is almost 100% carbohydrates). As far as I remember (the last time was 8 months ago), a popular vietnamese dessert consists of (cooked) mung beans + tapioca + water + salt + (a lot of) sugar and some coconut milk added at the end. The tapioca, when cooked, becomes translucid after about 15 minutes; it is almost tasteless in itself, but gives a pleasant jelly-like consistency. I abused of that during a short period, but stopped because the high sugar content induced mental fogginess (and if you put less sugar, it becomes tasteless). Anyway, as a raw-foodist, I don't find manioc extremely interesting. For me, it is edible, but not better than rutabagas. But taste is something personal. Examples of roots that I am not able to eat: potato, sweet potato, black radish, turnip. In fact, the only roots I like are carrots and celery. Best wishes, Jean-Louis