News
I
am guessing that many of you have because it is one of the most asked
questioned that I have received when it comes to gluten free baking. It is
confusing and one I had a lot of questions on when I first went gluten free.
Tapioca
starch and tapioca flour are the same thing. I have found
that Asian type markets and products tend to label it as tapioca starch and
companies like Bob’s Red Mill tend to label it as tapioca flour, but there is
no difference in the actual products. They are the same.
When
it comes to recipes it really varies by the author or cookbook on what it is
called, but if a recipe calls for tapioca starch, you can easily use tapioca
flour, since they are the same thing.
So
what is tapioca flour?
Tapioca
flour comes from the root of the cassava plant. It
basically the same thing as tapioca pearls, like you would use for pudding, but
tapioca flour has been ground into a a flour.
Tapioca
flour/starch adds structure to gluten free baking. It
also helps give things a chewy and/or crisp texture, especially in things like
cookies and cakes.
When
over used in a recipe though tapioca flour can make food slimy and can also add
a strong taste to the final product. Most recipes need some tapioca starch, but
not too much, and finding that balance can sometimes be hard.
Tapioca
flour can also be used as a thickener in sauces and
gravy, but it is not my favorite thickener to use because I have found that it
tends to make the sauce a bit slimy.
I
know a few gluten free people that do not like the flavor of tapioca flour in
their gluten free cooking and they often substitute cornstarch. I know many
have been happy with the results of doing this, for me though, I have found
that it works sometimes better than others. And since my family does not mind
the taste of tapioca starch in baked goods, I am fine with using it.
Nhận xét
Đăng nhận xét