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Arrowroot, first recorded in English in 1696, was derived from the Arawak word aru-aru, meaning “meal of meals.” Aru-aru was used by the Aruac Indians of the Caribbean Islands as a very starchy meal made from the root. They valued its nutrition and energy value. It is also said that the root was used to draw poison from wounds made by poison arrows. The English word arrowroot was based on this association with poison arrow wounds, as well as the similarity between the word arrow and the Arawak word aru-aru. There is another, less common, theory of the word’s origin — that it was derived from a South American Indian word araruta, meaning “root flour.”
The species Maranta arundinacea L. is the main plant used for arrowroot starch, but other plants also have arrowroot in their names and can be used to derive similar starches. Usually available in powder form, the root starch used for thickening in similar ways to corn starch or flour, although both the latter come from grains. Arrowroot is also used in the food industry to create very clear gels. This same clearness is an advantage when using arrowroot to thicken at home. Unlike corn starch, arrowroot does not make sauces, stocks, or gravies cloudy or opaque.
Arrowroot has many clear advantages over other starches. Despite these advantages, do not think that arrowroot is always the better choice.
One disadvantage, for example, which is true of root starches in general, is that it loses its thickening power when exposed to prolonged heating or too high a temperature. It sets much more quickly than cornstarch, but is also less forgiving if left on the heat too long. You can get more info on using arrowroot starch in your cooking at Cooksinfo.com.
Recommended: Bob’s Red Mill Arrowroot
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