If you asked me when you first started cooking food: "What is the difference between flour, cornstarch and starch? How should I use sizing, thickening and batter?", I would regret to tell you: "Sorry, I don't know", but after a year of experience and learning, I will tell you the answer without thinking. What are the differences between flour, cornstarch and starch, and how should they be used for sizing, thickening and baking? Using it wrongly can ruin a pot of food, so come take a look with me and add it to your collection.

Although there is only one word difference between flour, cornstarch and starch, the difference is still very big and they are completely different objects.

1. Let’s talk about flour first. It is flour made from peeled and ground wheat. Its main ingredients are starch and protein. Wheat flour is also divided into low-gluten flour, medium-gluten flour and high-gluten flour. The main difference is that the protein is composed of low to high. In the north, it is mostly used as staple food. Medium-gluten flour is used for steaming steamed buns, while high-gluten flour is used for making dumplings and steamed buns. Let me add here that gluten-free wheat flour is called Chengfen, which can also be understood as wheat flour with the protein removed. The remaining water when washing gluten is Chengfen, which can be used to make cold skin, rice rolls, shrimp dumplings, etc.

2. Starch is extracted from the rhizomes of plants. The main component is glucose molecular compounds, which are carbohydrates in plants. Generally, it is called a certain starch from which plant it is extracted, for example: Corn starch, tapioca starch, potato starch, wheat starch, sweet potato starch, mung bean starch, pea starch, etc.

3. Cornstarch is actually starch. It is just the name of Cantonese cuisine, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Generally speaking, cornstarch refers to potato starch and corn starch. It can be understood that cornstarch is the component of starch. Two special cases are corn starch and potato starch.

4. The difference between flour and starch: 1. Flour is white, but slightly yellowish compared to starch; starch is quite white because starch separates proteins and other substances from flour. A polysaccharide substance obtained later. 2. In terms of hand feel, the flour will feel smooth; but if you dip your fingers in a little starch and rub it, it will feel astringent.

Through the above study, we know the difference between flour, cornstarch and starch. Now we will focus on the application of starch in cooking. How should it be used for sizing, thickening and batter? The wrong thing can ruin a pot.

1. Sizing means adding a thin layer of water starch or dry starch to the raw materials before putting them in the pot. The purpose is to make the taste smooth and tender. During the boiling or frying process, the starch will form a protective film. Lock its moisture, such as fried meat, boiled fish, boiled meat slices, smooth broth, etc. Corn starch (cornstarch) is generally used because of its good water absorption, fine texture, high viscosity, high transparency, and does not affect the color of the ingredients.

2. Thickening means adding water and starch to thicken the soup before cooking. Thickening is generally divided into thin thickening and thick thickening. When making soup, the gravy is generally thickened to thicken the soup so that it is transparent and not turbid, such as tomato and egg soup; for stir-fried and stir-fried dishes, the gravy is generally thickened, such as fish-flavored shredded pork, stir-fried pork liver, etc. Potato starch is generally used because it has sufficient viscosity, fine texture, better color and gloss than mung bean starch, and poor water absorption.

3. Paste is to add dry starch (sometimes starch) and flour to the raw materials before putting them in the pot to make a flowing paste, usually a very thick layer, such as sugar. Vinegar carp forms a thick starch layer on the surface of the food, and becomes golden and crispy during the frying process, giving the dish a crispy texture on the outside and tender on the inside. Usually made with corn starch and flour.

What is the difference between flour, starch and cornstarch? How should sizing, thickening and batter be used? If you make the wrong mistake, you will ruin a whole pot of food. After reading this, you will gain a lot of knowledge. Hurry up and save it