OREANDA-NEWS  By the end of 2025, purchases by Russian importers of tapioca reached a historic high, increasing by more than 10 percent in 12 months. Record shipments of this exotic product to the domestic market are reported by RIA Novosti with reference to customs data.

Tapioca is a starch product that is obtained from the roots of the plant of the same name. It is added to pastries (bread, tortillas), puddings, as well as udon noodles, porridge, tea, coffee and the popular drink bubble tea. In addition, this product is used as a thickener for making soups, sauces and gravies.

Last year, tapioca shipments to Russia reached 726.1 thousand dollars in monetary terms. Over the past 12 months, the indicator has increased by 13 percent, and over the past five years — by 6.8 times. The exporters of these products were China and Thailand, which are among the world's main suppliers of this product. It was possible to compensate for the sharp decrease (by 20 percent) in supplies from China by doubling imports from Thailand.

Russia is actively purchasing other types of exotic products from China. Thus, by the end of 2024, experts recorded a twofold increase in imports of cassava (a tuberous tropical plant), yams (tubers of lianas) and taro (tubers of a perennial herbaceous plant). In general, Leonid Kholod, former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food, noted that exotic fruits and vegetables are imported to Russia mainly from Latin America and Southeast Asia.