The story of Crepioca begins with mandioca—also known as cassava—the starchy root cultivated for centuries by Brazil’s Indigenous peoples. Long before European contact, tribes across the Amazon harvested cassava, processed it into farinha and tapioca, and used it in daily cooking. Tapioca starch, extracted from pressed cassava liquid, became an essential ingredient in breads, porridges, and flatbreads that were central to Indigenous food culture.

Over time, as Indigenous foodways blended with Portuguese and African influences, tapioca gained an important place in regional Brazilian cuisines, especially in the North and Northeast. The iconic beiju, a thin tapioca flatbread cooked on a hot griddle, became a staple dish. Crepioca would later emerge directly from this tradition.