Starch is raw flour, which can be many different things, and generally refers to cornstarch.

Starch is a term that often appears in recipes, mostly for thickening purposes; the raw flour used in China and Taiwan is potato starch, and the raw flour used in Hong Kong is cornstarch. In addition to thickening food to create a smooth texture in Chinese cooking, it is also commonly used as a marinade to soften meat.

Flour has a wide range of uses, it can be used as a seasoning in stir-fries, as a cold noodle, and to spread pancakes, but it is mainly used to thicken meat when processing raw materials, such as sizing.

The role of starch:

1. energy supply

The main component of starch is glucose polymer, belonging to the long-chain sugar, which is broken down into glucose in the oral cavity and the gastrointestinal cavity, releasing energy in the human body for the body to consume. It is one of the main sources of human function.

2. Fattening

Starch in the sugar content is very high, the absorption rate is also better, eat too much when the body can not fully metabolize sugar into energy, it will be converted into fat hoarded in the body, to play the role of fertilization.

3. taste freshness

Life starch is one of the commonly used spices, especially in the meat diet, often need to adjust some starch thickening, starch thickening will form a layer of protection on the meat food to reduce the loss of meat moisture, but also to avoid high temperature denaturation of meat proteins, so that the taste is tender and smooth, taste freshness effect.

Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia - Starch