ARROWROOT
Latin / Botanical Name: Maranta arundinacea
Arrowroot is a name that is
associated with great confusion. We have counted over ten types of arrowroot
listed in our taxonomic sources. The arrowroot starch you can find in health
food stores may actually be almost anything from bananas, rice, potatoes, to
starch from almost any tropical root. You can know definitely what our arrowroot
is, since we make a full flour, not starch, and we make it ourselves. We start
with the arrowroot in the picture above. This arrowroot, scientific name,
Maranta arundinacea, is from the family Marantaceae. It is also called aru-aru,
juajua, sagu, araruta, and fung quat. There is now no reason to leave out this
root. Arrowroot is about 10 inches long and 4-5 inches in diameter with a thin,
light brown skin; the inside flesh is very white, extremely hard and extremely
fibrous.
There are about 1280 calories in one pound of true arrowroot flour. The
composition of arrowroot flour is approximately: 64.8% carbohydrate, 4.8%
protein, 0.4% fat, 22.8% fiber, 2% water, and 5.2% minerals.
Arrowroot flour can be used to make a full range of products, aided in
particular by its high levels of soluble and insoluble fiber. Although the fiber
levels are high, the flour and products are very smooth, not gritty. The bagels
were especially liked, being both dense and slightly sweet. Arrowroot flour also
makes nice breads, pancakes and cereals.
Hospitals formerly employed arrow root in barium meals given prior to X-raying the gastro-intestinal system. When mixed with hot water, the root starch of this plant becomes gelatinous and serves as an effective demulcent to soothe irritated mucous membranes. Used in much the same way as slippery elm. It helps to relieve acidity, indigestion, and colic, and it exerts a mildly laxative action on the large bowel.