polvilho

ENTRY: polvilho

CLASS: noun

EQUIVALENT: manioc starch, cassava starch, tapioca flour

DEFINITION: Fine starchy powder extracted from manioc roots and largely used in the preparation of pão de queijo and tapioca.

EXAMPLE: Place the dough in a shallow bowl, add the manioc starch, and start working the dough.

SOURCE: TBT

COMMENT: This byproduct of manioc is obtained by grating, washing and squeezing the vegetable. The starch is extracted from the liquid, which is then dried and sifted. Depending on the presence of fermentation, the process results in polvilho doce or polvilho azedo.