Ingredient Name: Arrowroot or Obedience Plant
Traditional Chinese Name: 粉葛 (fěn gé)
What is this?
  • Arrowroot is the edible starch from the rhizomes (rootstock) of West Indian arrowroot
  • It is often ground down to a powdered starch form which is completely white and powdery in form
  • The powder itself is used as a thickener, in cakes, pies, soups, and sauces
  • The rhizome itself can grow up to 6-7 pounds in weight at maturity
  • Arrowroot has no flavour or smell, but when boiled it has a slighty nutty sweet taste
  • If used in soups as cubes, the root is very fibery and coarse

How do I prepare it?

  • Wash and peel the arrowroot
  • Cut into cubes for soup usage

Where can I buy this?

  • You can buy arrowroot from most Asian supermarkets
  • It is also available in the wet marts in Hong Kong and can be bought by preference of weight and size

What is the cost?

  • Arrowroot costs roughly $1.00 CAD / pound, so a large arrowroot can easily cost $5 – $6

Any substitutes?

  • A good substitute for the arrowroot in soups is the lotus root

Any benefits?

  • Due to its blandness, it’s suitable for many diets (especially soups for children)
  • The arrowroot does contain a healthy amount of calcium
  • It is recommended for people who feel nauseous to consume arrowroot and helps soothes upset stomachs

Any precautions?

  • The arrowroot is not a highly nutritious food with 84% of the root composed of starch
  • Arrowroots can be quite dirty and need to be thoroughly washed prior to consumption
  • If purchasing arrowroot powder, be sure to purchase it from a reputatble source as some sources many not sell PURE arrowroot

Additional Information?

  • Fresh arrowroot stores relatively well in the fridge and can keep for up to 1 month

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