Use of arrowroot plant starch is a long-standing English tradition. Spice purveyors as far back as the 1700s understood the benefits of arrowroot starch and fought over rights to the crops. Since true arrowroot, known formally as Maranta arundinacea, is cultivated only in St. Vincent, there often was not enough product to meet demand. Even today, attaining true arrowroot starch is somewhat difficult. Products often labeled arrowroot are usually a less expensive version of a similar root, which originates in Brazil or China.