cornflour

Thân thiện

She sprinkles cornflour into a simmering pot of soup.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A fine, powdery starch made from corn (maize) kernels: It is a white, flavorless powder used primarily as a thickening agent in cooking and baking.

Usage

• As a thickener: Cornflour is used to thicken sauces, gravies, soups, and pie fillings. It creates a clear, glossy finish, unlike wheat flour.

  • Add a teaspoon of cornflour mixed with water to thicken the stir-fry sauce.
  • The recipe calls for cornflour to give the lemon curd a smooth texture.

• In baking: It is often used in combination with other flours to create lighter textures in cakes and cookies.

  • These shortbread cookies are made with cornflour for a delicate crumb.

Advanced Usage

• "Cornflour slurry": A mixture of cornflour and a cold liquid (like water or stock) used to thicken hot liquids without forming lumps.

  • Always make a cornflour slurry before adding it to the boiling soup.

• As a coating: It can be used to lightly coat foods before frying to achieve a crisp texture.

  • Dust the tofu in cornflour before frying for extra crispiness.

Variants and Related Words

• Cornstarch (US): The most common equivalent term in American English.

  • In the US, you would ask for cornstarch at the grocery store.

• Maize starch: A more technical term for the same product.

Synonyms

• Thickening agent: A general term for any substance used to thicken liquids.
• Starch: A broader category of carbohydrates; cornflour is a specific type of starch.

Important Notes

• Not to be confused with "cornmeal" or "corn flour" (UK): In some contexts, especially British English, "cornflour" refers specifically to the refined starch (cornstarch in US English). However, "corn flour" (two words) can sometimes refer to a finely ground whole corn powder similar to cornmeal, which is used for baking breads like tortillas. The key difference is that cornflour (one word, starch) is a pure white powder used for thickening, while cornmeal/corn flour is yellow and has a grainier texture.

Học thuật

Noun

1. starch prepared from the grains of corn; used in cooking as a thickener

Từ đồng nghĩa

• cornstarch