Canna indica, commonly known as African arrowroot, edible canna, purple arrowroot, Sierra Leone arrowroot, is a plant species in the family Cannaceae. It is invasive to much of Africa. It is native to South America and India.
Indonesian Arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea) is a tropical tuber native to Indonesia.
Canna generalis / arrowroot
It’s usually processed into a powder, also called arrowroot flour. The powder is extracted from the plant’s rhizome, an underground stem with multiple roots that store its starch and energy.
This vegetable is mostly employed in the kitchen, as it works well in sweet and savory dishes alike, although it may have medicinal properties as well (1).
Aside from being high in protein and several nutrients, arrowroot is very easy to digest, making it ideal for children and older adults who may need gentler food (2).
Nutritional profile
Arrowroot is a starchy root vegetable similar to yam, cassava, sweet potato, and taro.