Tapioca: the diet’s great ally –

From Pero Vaz de Caminha – who wrote in one of the letters sent to the King of Portugal: “Breads called beijus are made around here so white and tasty that they far surpass the bread of that kingdom” – to the fitness muses, tapioca, or beiju, has been successful for over 500 years. This starch, so common on menus in the North and Northeast regions, can be extracted from cassava, cassava or cassava. “Many think they are the same root, just with different names, but there are subtle differences between them, they are prime roots”, clarifies Joselito da Silva Motta, Embrapa researcher from Cruz das Almas, (BA). From the production of the flour – made with crushed and pressed roots – a milky liquid flows which, after being decanted, gives rise to wet starch – pure carbohydrate, raw material for beijus. Its nutritional value is poor, but the same cannot be said of its versatility in the gastronomic field.

It seems inconsistent, therefore, to say that a food without fiber, protein and with a high glycemic value helps with the diet. But that’s right, believe me! Tapioca enters the menu in place of bread and with advantages over it. The Bahian nutritionist Eneida Bomfim explains: “Unlike bread and biscuits, tapioca is a food made with a single ingredient, cassava starch. It does not contain fat, gluten, sodium and does not require oil in the preparation”. Bread, on the other hand, has several components in the dough, which increases caloric value, in addition to being contraindicated for people with celiac disease, who are intolerant to gluten, a protein present in wheat, barley, rye and oats.

“Tapioca seems like a food created by nutritionists”, jokes Eneida. She even says that cassava could be considered a functional food: “This root has the important property of being neutral, which helps to stabilize the body’s pH. Therefore, it is used in alkaline diets, helping to treat the acidity of the intestine and improving its flora”. The nutritionist recommends eating one or two tapiocas a day, always replacing bread. The one prepared with two tablespoons of starch has 70 calories.

MAXIMUM VERSATILITY

No wonder Father Anchieta referred to tapioca as the “bread of the tropics”. Was he right. Tapioca, as it is a neutral food – without smell, flavor or acidity – accepts all types of stuffing. “Escape from the most caloric. It is important to avoid a lot of olive oil, butter, condensed milk, sweets and fatty meats. Choose skinny cheeses, leaves, tomatoes, basil, for example. The secret of the success of tapioca in the diet is in the filling”, says Eneida. The nutritionist also points out that the pasta can even be eaten pure, simply toasted and soaked in coffee, as people from the Northeast often do.

The fact is that fillings add nutrients to tapioca. “To compensate for the lack of fiber, for example, one should opt for raw vegetables”, suggests Eneida. And the important thing about adding fiber is to reduce the glycemic value of the delicacy. Those based on cheese and meat introduce proteins. Vitamins and mineral salts enter tapioca through fruits and vegetables – which can also be mixed in the dough. “Instead of water, you can moisten the gum with fruit juice, vegetables or strained leaves to add color, flavor and nutrients”, teaches Joselito.

HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT TAPIOCA

The experts tell you all the secrets for making a crunchy, delicious and low-calorie beiju:

The easiest way is to buy already hydrated tapioca gum, pass the flour through a sieve and store it in the fridge. “It can also be frozen”, guarantees Simone Brandão, from Alagoas, who makes the best tapioca in Salvador, according to the Comer & Beber guide of VEJA magazine. Below, she teaches you step by step.

1
If the dough has been stored for some time or contains some lumps, pass it through a sieve again on the day of preparation. Separate all the ingredients you are going to use: the already sieved starch and each component of the filling already grated or cut. There are those who like to add a pinch of salt to the starch before placing it in the frying pan.

two
Place a small non-stick frying pan (10 to 12 centimeters in diameter) over the heat, but do not let it get too hot or the beiju will become rubbery. The ideal texture is crunchy. Important: you don’t need to put a drop of fat in the skillet to make this.

3
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the flour into the skillet to form a thin, uniform disk with no holes. Or use a sieve to spread the flour in the skillet, with the help of a spoon to break up any lumps.

4
When the dough is coagulated, stick together, put the stuffing, you don’t need to turn it, just spread the ingredients and close, folding the dough in half, like a half moon. It doesn’t take more than three or four minutes to get ready.

5
If you are going to make the tapioca simple, pure, or just with butter, turn it over, spread the butter (or margarine or olive oil) and leave for a few minutes, until the other side is also crispy.

6
Always pass a paper towel in the frying pan between preparing one beiju and another.

LIGHT FILLINGS

Sweet or salty? You choose! See Eneida Bomfim’s suggestions

Minas cheese with herbs

1 medium slice of Minas cheese, chopped or coarsely grated, 1 pinch of dried basil or a few fresh basil leaves.

Yields: 1 serving (123 calories)

Ricotta, tomato and oregano

1 medium slice of ricotta cheese, 5 cherry tomatoes cut into slices, 1 pinch of oregano.

Yields: 1 serving (188 calories)

Grilled chicken, tomato, olive and lettuce

2 col. (soup) grilled chicken, cut into cubes, 3 cherry tomatoes cut into slices, 4 chopped black olives, 1 chopped lettuce leaf

Yields: 1 serving (214 calories)

Apricot, plum, strawberry and cherry

1 chopped dried apricot, 1 chopped prune, 3 chopped fresh strawberries, 3 chopped cherries.

Yields: 1 serving (120 calories)

4 small chopped strawberries, 25 grams melted dark chocolate

Yields: 1 serving (216 calories)