[Sca-cooks] Starch in cooking

[Terry Decker]

The endosperm of any grain consists primarily of starch which can be 
extracted with water.  The earliest reference to the practice in Europe is 
in Pliny's Natural Histories.  Recipes that call for amydon are calling for 
wheat starch.  In regards the Anonymous Andalusian cookbook, the starch will 
likely be either wheat starch or rice starch.

In practice, your spray starch might actually work, but let me recommend 
that you use something a little more ordinary.  Since the primary 
differences in extracted starches are in the trace chemicals, to test the 
recipe you could use wheat starch, rice starch, corn (maize) starch, potato 
starch, tapioca (cassava) flour, or arrowroot powder.

Bear

On Nov 13, 2016 10:25 AM, "Susan Lord" <lordhunt at gmail.com> wrote:

> The Anon Al-Andalus recipe 469, translated by Perry/Friedman as an
> "Eastern Sweet" calls for starch. What does that mean in layman terms? All
> I can think of are ridiculous items like a throw in a potato or spray it
> with my starch can used when ironing. . .