Wheat is a crop with a long history, which appeared in the Neolithic Age. It was introduced to China around 4000-4500 BC.
How was it introduced to China? This is still inconclusive in the field of archaeology in China. Even though the early viewpoint was that the wheat was introduced from Xinjiang to the Central Plains through the Silk Road, the unearthed wheat was earlier in the East than in the West, so it may have been introduced to Central Asia through West Asia and then to China.
Wheat can be ground into flour, and different foods, commonly known as "gluten", can be made according to the different content of protein in flour.
High gluten flour: protein content: 12.5- 13.5%.
High-gluten flour will be darker in color and used to make some "Q-bomb" flavored or chewy cakes, such as thousand-layer cakes, fried dough sticks or bread.
In fact, "rich flour" or "special flour" commonly used in supermarkets also belong to the category of high-gluten flour.
Medium gluten flour: protein content: 9.5%- 12%.
Medium gluten flour is the most widely used flour in China, which is also related to the wheat varieties planted in China. It is also commonly called "standard flour".
Most China cakes are made of medium gluten flour. Steamed bread, jiaozi, noodles and steamed buns are all made of medium gluten flour.
Low gluten flour: protein content: below 8.5%.
Snacks that don't need gluten are generally made of low-gluten flour, such as crackers or soft cakes.
Self-raising flour:
Some pasta needs fermentation, such as steamed bread and steamed buns, which are soft to eat. Yeast is usually added to flour, but if self-raising flour is used, this step can be omitted.
Because self-raising flour is a mixture of medium gluten flour and baking powder, you only need to add warm water and flour to mix, and wait 1-2 hours, and the noodles will be ready, which saves time and trouble.
In addition, flour is marked according to its use. For example, jiaozi flour is medium gluten flour, which is specially used to make jiaozi, and bread flour is high gluten flour, which is specially used to make bread.