Definition

1. Noun:
   • Arrowroot: A type of plant (Maranta arundinacea) whose rhizomes are processed into a fine, easily digestible starch. This starch is used in cooking, baking, and medicine, often as a thickener or for its nutritional properties.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Bột khoai dong thường được dùng để nấu cháo cho trẻ em. (Arrowroot starch is often used to cook porridge for children.)
  • Củ khoai dong có thể được nghiền lấy bột. (Arrowroot tubers can be crushed to extract starch.)
  • So với bột năng, bột khoai dong dễ tiêu hóa hơn. (Compared to tapioca starch, arrowroot starch is easier to digest.)

Advanced Usage

• Cultural/Historical Context: In Vietnam, starch has been traditionally valued as a nutritious food for the sick, the elderly, and infants due to its gentle nature on the digestive system.
• "bột khoai dong" (arrowroot flour/starch): This is the most common form in which the plant is used and referred to.
  • Bánh được làm từ bột khoai dong rất mềm. (Cakes made from arrowroot flour are very soft.)

Variants and Related Words

• Dong đao / Củ dong: Alternative names for the same plant or its tuber in different Vietnamese regions.
• Bột dong / Bột hoàng tinh: Other terms for arrowroot starch.
• Củ dong riềng: Refers to a different plant (canna) also used for starch; context is needed to distinguish from .

Synonyms

• Arrowroot (English equivalent).
• Maranta (Scientific/Botanical name).

Notes on Meaning

• Regional Variation: The term is considered a dialectal word (đph = địa phương). The more standard or widely recognized term in Vietnamese is dong đao.
• Primary Meaning: The word almost exclusively refers to the plant and, more specifically, the starch derived from it. It is not typically used in idiomatic expressions.

1. Arrowroot