Is cassava gluten-free? Yes, and so is tapioca

Yes. Cassava is naturally gluten-free, and so are cassava flour and tapioca, the starch extracted from the same root. Cassava is also called yuca, manioc or mandioca.

Cassava flour vs tapioca

Cassava flour is the whole root, dried and ground: it bakes like a soft wheat flour and works on its own in flatbreads, tortillas and brownies. Tapioca starch is only the starch: it adds stretch and crispness and is used in blends. Both are gluten-free.

What to check

• Flour blends. A “cassava blend” or “tapioca blend” may include wheat. Read the ingredient list.
• Cross-contact. Cassava flour is sometimes milled or packed where wheat is. A pack labelled gluten-free takes the guesswork out.
• Eating out. Pão de queijo (Brazilian cheese bread) is made with tapioca starch and is naturally gluten-free, but some bakeries add wheat. Fried yuca shares the fryer question with chips.
• Raw cassava. Not a gluten issue, but worth knowing: raw cassava root must be peeled and cooked properly. Shop-bought cassava flour is already processed.

Cassava and tapioca are two of the most useful gluten-free baking ingredients around. Check blends and labels; the root itself is gluten-free.

Keep reading

• The Hidden-Gluten Watchlist: the 15 forbidden names and the ones to check
• Cassava flour in the Flour Library
• Tapioca starch in the Flour Library
• Cassava flour vs tapioca starch
• Gluten-free cassava flatbread wraps

Sources: Codex Alimentarius (gluten-free = 20 mg/kg or less), EU Regulation 828/2014, Coeliac UK, NHS. We inform, we don’t diagnose: for medical questions, your doctor or dietitian has the last word.