SC - Re:amydon vs. rice flour (was Sugar...)

[Robyn Probert]

Adamantius wrote regarding amydoun:

>(yes, I know rice has no gluten, but there it is). Wheat starch thickens
>more like corn starch: there's less of a color shift, although the color
>changes more than with corn starch, FWIW. The food thickens as the heat
>and moisture gelatinize the starch granules blah blah blah, and, like
>corn starch, foods "ythiked wid amydoun" sometimes have problems with
>loss of thickness, more or less reverting to their unthickened state, if
>boiled too long, if only slightly thickened and left out at room
>temperature for a bit, or if frozen. I find it strange that amydoun
>should be less forgiving than simple flour, which also thickens with
>wheat starch.

Another fine example of these language shift things... In Australia, you can
buy amydoun off the shelf - it's sold as "Cornflour" but is made from pure
wheat starch. This is a hangover from when "corn" in England meant grain -
ie wheat.

On thickeners, have you come across any references to arrowroot? Again, it
is an off the shelf thickener here and is actually made from the ground
dried root. It is really similar to "conflour" (wheat starch), but does not
thin out again if overcooked. It is/was used as a digestive aid and is is
still used in digestive biscuits.

Rowan
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
Robyn Probert				
Customer Service Manager		Phone +61 2 9239 4999
Services Development Manager		Fax   +61 2 9221 8671
Lawpoint Pty Limited			Sydney NSW  Australia
- -----------------------------------------------------------------

============================================================================

To be removed from the SCA-Cooks mailing list, please send a message to
Majordomo at Ansteorra.ORG with the message body of "unsubscribe SCA-Cooks".

============================================================================