Starch is good or not, only when the variety is used.
There are many kinds of starch, including mung bean starch, cassava starch, sweet potato starch, sweet potato starch, potato starch, wheat starch, water chestnut starch, lotus root starch, corn starch and so on.
The role of starch in cooking: 1. Sizing refers to sticking a thin layer of water starch on raw materials. After the raw materials enter the oil pan or are boiled in water, the starch quickly gelatinizes to form a protective layer, which locks the moisture in the raw materials and keeps the raw materials soft and tender.
2. Hanging paste refers to a thick layer of starch paste (possibly water starch, egg white starch paste, etc.) stuck on raw materials. Hanging paste is usually used for raw materials that need to be fried, such as sweet and sour pork tenderloin. After the raw materials enter the oil pan, the starch gelatinizes, forming a protective layer, and at the same time, it becomes golden and crisp, which makes the dishes appear tender and tender.
3. Thickening refers to pouring water starch into the pot when the dish is almost mature, so that the soup in the pot becomes sticky, and the function is to make the thickened soup stick to the dish and make the dish more delicious. If it is a soup dish, it is the soup that tastes more mellow.
4. Making vermicelli, vermicelli and bean jelly: This is made by adding starch into water, then making vermicelli and vermicelli, and then drying.
Corn starch (raw flour) is characterized by strong hygroscopicity.
Corn starch is the most widely used starch in cooking, which is mainly used for thickening, curing meat and hanging paste.
1, thicken: When cooking some stir-fried dishes and soup, corn starch is often used to thicken the soup to make it thicker, thus improving the taste. Representative dish: tofu flower
2, cured meat: when curing raw meat such as pork and beef, some corn starch will be added, so that the fried meat tastes more tender and smooth. The main ingredient of tender meat powder sold in the market is corn starch. Representative dish: Fried shredded pork with green pepper
3, hanging paste: because of its strong hygroscopicity, a layer of corn starch is wrapped on the surface of the food, and after frying, the taste will be crisp. Representative dish: fried chicken chops
Potato starch (potato starch) is characterized by strong viscosity.
Potato starch has strong viscosity, white color and good transparency, and is mainly used to make sauces, fried pork and so on.
1, making sauces: Potato starch is a good thickener, which is widely used in sauces. Its transparency is high, and the sauces produced by the book are transparent in color and look more appetizing.
2. If you want to make pot-wrapped meat, you'd better choose potato starch, because it is sticky and expansive, and the hanging paste is not easy to fall off.
Pay attention to the preservation method.
Sweet potato starch (sweet potato starch, sweet potato starch) features: strong water absorption capacity.
Sweet potato starch is generally granular and dull, and its viscosity is difficult to control after gelatinization, so it will not be used in thickening. It is mainly used for frying and making Chinese dim sum, vermicelli and vermicelli.
1, frying: Because sweet potato starch has strong water absorption, the fried food is drier, with no extra moist feeling, and the skin is harder and crisper. Representative dish: pineapple sweet and sour meat
2, making Chinese snacks: such as mountain dumplings, because of its smooth and tough taste, it is also very suitable for making vermicelli, vermicelli and so on. Representative dish: hot and sour rice noodles
Cassava powder Cassava powder is powder particles obtained by peeling cassava, crushing and drying, or powder particles obtained by peeling and drying, which are generally produced by family workshops.
Cassava powder is generally powdery particles, which will be transparent and Q-elastic when cooked with water. Cassava flour is mostly used in food processing, such as dessert dumplings, puddings or crystal jiaozi.
Cassava powder is processed roughly, and the toxicity of cassava is relatively retained, so cassava powder can't be eaten raw, and it contains hydrocyanic acid, which will be harmful to health.
There are many things that can replace cassava flour, but different things should be chosen for different purposes.
Raw flour replaces cassava flour.
Raw flour is also a kind of starch that is often eaten in daily life. This kind of starch belongs to refined starch, and its raw materials are corn, wheat, etc. After removing protein, cellulose, fat and other substances, only starch remains. Therefore, this kind of starch can completely replace cassava flour, and it also has the characteristics of Q-bomb.
Sweet potato flour instead of cassava flour
One of the main components of Taiwan Province taro is cassava flour, which not only uses the elasticity of cassava starch, but also needs the crystal-clear purity of cassava starch after steaming, while the color of sweet potato flour after steaming is gray, which is not as bright as cassava flour and cannot be replaced. It can be replaced if it is only elastic when making glutinous rice balls.
Potato flour instead of cassava flour
Potato powder is a starch powder product extracted from potatoes after finishing treatment. The starch content in this powder is also high, but it will be colored after cooking just like sweet potatoes. After processing, potato powder is white and opaque, and many products that need the transparent effect of cassava powder cannot be replaced, such as crystal glue. But it can be substituted when making Taiwan Province taro.
Flour instead of cassava flour
Flour also has a certain elasticity when making dough, which can be used to make the skins of jiaozi and steamed buns. When making dough with cassava flour, flour can be properly added to cakes. If the transparency and elasticity given by cassava flour are not pursued, flour can be used instead.
other
Wheat starch, also called Chengfen, will be used to make some Cantonese snacks, crystal shrimp dumplings and the like, with good transparency and good appearance.
Ge Fen is made of underground stems of a perennial plant "Pueraria lobata", because the whole stems of "Pueraria lobata" are almost pure starch. After these stems are cleaned, they are shredded, dried and ground into powder, which is what we call Ge Fen. Ge Fen can thicken soup, which is very similar to corn starch powder and white powder.
Mung bean starch is almost the best quality among edible starches, but it contains more amylose and less amylopectin.
Pea starch is a good starch, and it is better to use pea starch when frying crispy meat. First, it is moderate in hardness and crisp in taste, but it is not as brittle and hard as corn starch.
Tender meat powder is added with some enzymes on the basis of starch, which catalyzes the decomposition of protein structure in meat and makes the taste tender. And the price is more expensive, so it is less used in the kitchen (gelatinization mainly depends on amylopectin).