If you are gathering wild edibles to make a survivalist meal in Florida or moist southern climates in the Caribbean then look around for arrowroot. It is also called Bermuda or Florida arrow root (largely and also araru, or ararao.) It was also cultivated in the West Indies, Southeast Asia and in Africa. It is an ancient crop that has been grown for about seven thousand years. Sometimes it is also called Indian Bread Root or Wild Sago.
It is classified as a large perennial herb and is about two feet high with small white flowers and fruits that look like currants. The rootstocks are ready when the plant is a year old. A good healthy root is ready to eat when it is one year old and about a foot in length. They are yellow to white in color and covered with loose scales. The root also usually has lots of joints and fingers. They are also covered with loose scales that are removed with scrubbing before you consume it.
To harvest grasp the plant at the base and then pull it up. Cut the tubers from the stems of the plant and dig the tuber out of the ground. Shake the dirt off the tuber well.
The arrowroot has been commercially turned into starch for years. It is 23% starch in composition. It is ground into a pulp and then dried and turned into a powder and sold as a starch for baking. In fact, arrowroot biscuits are a favourite treat in Britain.
If you boil arrowroot you can easily make a type of gel or custard. It can also be good for thickening sauces or stews.
One thing to note about it is that it does not mix well with any type of dairy product. The dairy will not mix with the arrowroot and it will have a curdled appearance.
If you are gathering it wild be aware that unless ground and saturated in water and drained it can be very hard on the gastrointestinal tract. Be sure to soak it well and grind it up so that it is easy on the digestive system.
Another reason that this is such a good survivalist food is because they keep so well. They are best stored with other root crops like beets, potatoes, yams and parsnips. They can keep in a well ventilated environment for a bout ten weeks.