Maranta arundinacea — a gentle, easily digestible starch from Caribbean and South American origin. Called 'arrowroot' because indigenous peoples used it to draw out arrow poison. The Gullah Geechee people of the South Carolina and Georgia Sea Islands cultivated arrowroot as a healing starch.
Gullah Geechee communities on the Sea Islands cultivated arrowroot from the 18th century onward as a healing food and export crop. St. Vincent (Caribbean) produced arrowroot for export to the British biscuit industry through the 20th century. A direct line from the Caribbean and Gullah communities to this underutilized starch with exceptional folate content.
Arrowroot has one of the highest folate contents of any starch — 338mcg per 100g raw, nearly the entire DV. This is extraordinary for a root crop. Black women have the highest rates of neural tube defect-affected births in the US, and folate intake in the preconception period is the primary prevention. Digestive uses are well-documented: arrowroot starch forms a mucilaginous gel in the gut that soothes intestinal inflammation, absorbs excess fluid in diarrhea, and provides a substrate for gut microbiome fermentation. Historically used to feed infants and recovering patients when no other food could be tolerated.
Arrowroot flour/starch is more common than fresh root in the US. As thickener: 1 tablespoon arrowroot = 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Add to sauces at the END of cooking — arrowroot breaks down if boiled. Fresh root: peel and boil like potato. Arrowroot crackers: mix 1 cup flour + 1/4 cup coconut oil + pinch salt, roll thin, bake 350°F 10-12 minutes.
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