Editing Tapioca pudding (section)

== History ==
A significant reason for tapioca pudding's popularity was the ease of access in acquiring tapioca balls compared to its alternative, [[sago]]. Tapioca pearls originate from the harvesting of the cassava plant, which required less labor to harvest and grew faster compared to sago.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Aquitaine |first=Ellanor |date=2024-03-23 |title=The Rise And Fall Of Tapioca Pudding |url=https://www.tastingtable.com/1544356/why-tapioca-pudding-not-popular/ |access-date=2024-10-19 |website=Tasting Table |language=en-US}}</ref> Tapioca pudding would become a prominent staple of the lunches of school children in western countries such as Britain, Australia, and the United States. <ref name=":0" />

British schoolchildren have traditionally nicknamed the dish [[frog spawn]] due to its appearance.<ref>[http://news.sky.com/home/article/12710110 "School Dinners: Top Of The Slops"], ''[[Sky News]]'', London, 5 August 2003. Retrieved on 6 November 2011.</ref> ''[[The Guardian]]'' described it as "Britain's most hated school pudding" with names such as fisheyes, frogspawn, and [[eyeball]] pudding. It is, however, making a comeback in the 21st century in [[Michelin-star]]red restaurants and less exalted places.<ref name=Guardian>{{cite web |last1=Balston |first1=Catherine |title=Tapioca: the hated school pudding makes a culinary comeback|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2015/apr/13/tapioca-school-pudding-culinary-comeback |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=25 February 2016 |date=13 April 2015}}</ref> In southern India, a type of dessert pudding known as ''jawhuarusee payasam'' made from tapioca pearls is made during festival times.

Tapioca pudding was one of the dishes that Rhode Island army officers ate for their [[Fourth of July]] celebrations during the [[siege of Petersburg]].<ref>{{cite web |title=What do Americans eat on July 4th? |url=http://www.foodtimeline.org/july4th.html}}</ref>

July 15th is recognized as National Tapioca Pudding Day.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-15 |title=National Tapioca Pudding Day |url=https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/tapioca-pudding-day/ |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=Days Of The Year |language=en}}</ref>