This article provides an overview of corn flour, what it tastes like, its availability, alternative names, and of course what other ingredients make corn flour substitutes.
What is Corn Flour?
Corn flour is flour milled from dried corn kernels. It is a whole grain flour as it contains whole corn, including the hull, germ, and endosperm.
Corn flour is usually yellow, but can appear white or blue, depending on which corn is used. The texture is very fine and smooth.
What does Corn Flour taste like?
Corn flour does not taste very nice raw, but in cooking, it gives off a sweet, earthy flavor. It is very versatile and can be added to breads, pancakes, muffins, and batter.
Is Corn Flour readily available in Supermarkets?
Corn flour can be found in most major supermarkets, often sold in a plastic bag or cardboard box in the baking section.
What are some alternative names for Corn Flour?
Some alternative names include corn starch, maizena, and maize starch. However, in the majority of countries, cornstarch is a white powder used to thicken dishes and is only made from the endosperm of the corn kernel. However, in the United Kingdom, they rather confusingly use the term corn flour to describe cornstarch.
What is a good substitute for Corn Flour in recipes?
Luckily, there are a number of great substitutes for corn flour. These include:
- Cornmeal is similar as both are made from dried corn, however, do note that the textures differ completely
- Rice Flour
- Potato Starch
- Tapioca