Are corn starch and starch the same thing? The right distinction is really going to cook

In the daily cooking process, we often use a variety of starches, such as potato starch, sweet potato starch, corn starch, tapioca starch, pea starch, etc., but many people will not distinguish, want to use which one, then, what is the difference between different starches?

In addition, we often encounter a thing called corn starch, what is it? What's the difference between that and starch?

What is the difference between corn starch and starch?

Corn starch and starch are not a specific powder name, just a general term, and the difference between the two is actually not very large.

In general, the word corn starch will often appear in the dishes of Hong Kong and Taiwan, and unlike starch, corn starch is rarely classified and named, while in the market, we see more that starch is divided into corn starch, potato starch, sweet potato starch and so on.

In general, corn starch has three identical functions:

Hook

When the dish is nearing maturity, pour the mixed powder into the pot to make the soup thick. It is generally divided into thin mustard and thick mustard.

The soup is generally made with thin mustard, so that the soup is thick, so that it is transparent and not cloudy, such as tomato and egg soup; fried and slippery stir-fried dishes are generally thick, such as fish and meat shreds, stir-fried pork liver and so on.

Hanging paste

Before the ingredients are put into the pan, they are first wrapped in the prepared starch and then cooked, and the food that is generally hung is usually used for frying.

sizing

The difference between sizing and hanging paste is the thickness of the water starch or dry starch on the ingredients.

Sizing generally only needs to add a thin layer of water starch or dry starch to the ingredients, and the ingredients that are generally sizing are usually not used for frying, but for boiling or frying.

However, the specific situation should be distinguished according to the type of starch used, and not all starch can be used as corn starch.

1

cornstarch

Corn starch, also known as maize starch, uses corn as raw material and is slightly yellowish. In Hong Kong, cornstarch is generally called corn starch.

It is hygroscopic and can be used as a cured meat ingredient; or to make fried dishes (hanging paste), such as small crispy meat, chicken fillet, etc., after frying to make the dish crispy; in addition, some Western baking will also add some corn starch to make the finished product softer. Corn starch can also be used to make cold powder.

2

Potato starch

Potato starch, that is, potato starch, called Taibai powder in Taiwan, can be used for sizing, hanging paste, soup of the hook, but after cooling will become thinner, reduce the taste of the dish. Its consistency and brightness are moderate, but the transparency is good. It is generally used to make dishes such as pot wrapped meat.

3

Sweet potato starch

Sweet potato flour is generally granular, divided into coarse particles and fine particles. It is highly absorbent, and has the characteristics of strength and resistance to cooking, generally sweet potato starch will not be used to hook, can be used to make sweet potato noodles or fried certain ingredients, such as small crispy meat.

4

Wheat starch

Wheat starch is characterized by no gluten (also called gluten, or gluten protein), that is, pure wheat flour.

The viscosity of wheat starch is not so strong, but the transparency of the finished product is very high, and there is a feeling of crystal clearness. Daily shrimp dumplings, intestinal powder, ice skin mooncakes, etc. are used more.

5

Mung bean starch

Mung bean starch is generally sticky, water-absorbent, and the color is relatively white. More is used to make mung bean vermicelli, mung bean cold skin cold powder and so on.

It can also be used to make food such as pancakes, and can also be mixed with flour to make multigrain noodles, which is refreshing to eat.

6

Tapioca starch

Pearls, boba, taro balls, and sago are all added to tapioca starch, which can make the finished product more Q-bomby, translucent, delicious and delicious

Source: CCTV goes home for dinner