Arrow Root | Uraro

Arrowroot, any of several species of the genus Maranta, members of the family Marantaceae, the rhizomes, or rootstocks, of which yield an edible starch. The most commonly used species is M. arundinacea, the source of genuine, or West Indies, arrowroot. This herbaceous perennial, a native of Guyana and western Brazil, is cultivated throughout the West Indies, Southeast Asia, Australia, and South Africa. Its creeping rootstock has fleshy tubers (underground storage organs), and its many-branched stem, reaching a height of 1.5 metres (5 feet), bears numerous leaves, having long narrow sheaths and large spreading ovate blades, and a few short-stalked white flowers. Plants are harvested when the tubers are gorged with starch, just before the plant’s dormant season. The roots are peeled and then grated in water. The resulting mixture is dried to a powder and purified by several washings.