Corn Flour Vs Corn Starch: What are the major differences?
Have you ever wondered what is the difference between these two corn-based products? Cornstarch and cornflour are thickening agents made from corn but they both differ in nutrient profile, uses, gluten content and flavour. These ingredients look vaguely familiar but they have different culinary uses. We often replace them with each other but results are often disastrous.
Processing
Corn flour is the process of grinding corn kernels into a fine powder. It comes in yellow and white colour and is loaded with protein, fiber, starch, and vitamins and minerals. On the other hand, cornstarch is made by removing the protein and fiber of the corn kernel, leaving only the starchy center called the endosperm.
Flavour
Corn flour has an earthy, sweet taste similar to corn while other hand cornstarch is flavorless, it adds texture rather than taste to the dishes.
Interchangeability
The two products of corn cannot serve the same purpose in a recipe. As corn flour is not rich in gluten, it makes wheat products easily crumble and dense whereas cornstarch is used as a thickening agent in dishes like soups, stews, sauces, and gravies.
Gluten content
Cornflour contains gluten while cornstarch is gluten-free, which is why it is a popular choice for gluten-free baking. Because of the lack of gluten in cornstarch, it has twice the thickening power of flour.
For thickening gravies
For thickening, the dairy-based sauces cornstarch is preferred over corn flour.
Nutrition
One-by-four cup serving of cornflour has 110 calories with 22 grams of carbs and 3 grams of protein. On the other hand, cornstarch has 120 calories and 28 grams of carbohydrates. It has lesser magnesium, iron, and potassium than cornflour.
Usage
Cornstarch should be mixed with a cold liquid while cornflour should be mixed with hot liquid to prevent lumps from forming in the dish.