 |
 |
The arrowroot plant is native to the West Indies and Central America; it belongs to the same family as ginger. It was used by the original inhabitants of the area and it served as food but seems to have first been used for religious and medicinal purposes. The Indians used it in wounds inflicted by poison arrows-hence its name. Jamaica was once a producer and exporter of arrowroot. Nowadays it is used in face powers, glues, confectionery, ice-cream cones and paper and textiles. |
 |
|
 |