Cornflour for Dummies

Cornflour is a material that is used for cooking and baking. It is a powdery substance that is made from corn, which is a kind of grain. Have you ever seen corn before? It's those yellow, delicious veggies that we see at the supermarket or maybe even in your meals sometimes.

Now, imagine if we take corn and grind it up into a fine powder, just like how we turn wheat into flour. That powder that we get from corn is called cornflour. It is typically very fine and soft, just like regular flour that we use for making cakes, bread, or even pancakes. However, there is a big difference between cornflour and regular flour.

What makes cornflour special is that it is gluten-free. You see, gluten is a protein found in some grains like wheat, barley, and rye. But corn doesn't have gluten in it, so cornflour is a great alternative for people who have a sensitivity or allergy to gluten. This means that people who cannot eat gluten-containing foods can still enjoy delicious recipes by using cornflour instead.

Now, let's talk about how cornflour is used in cooking. It is often used as a thickening agent. Have you ever had a sauce that was really thin and watery? Sometimes we want to make that sauce thicker and more gooey. That's when we add cornflour, which helps to make the sauce get that desired consistency. It's just like how adding water to a plant makes it grow bigger and stronger.

But cornflour is not just for sauces. It can also be used to make desserts like puddings or custards. Just like how we mix things together to create a magic potion, cornflour is mixed with milk and sugar to create a creamy and sweet treat that you can enjoy.

So, in a nutshell, cornflour is a special type of fine powder made from corn. It doesn't contain gluten and is used to thicken sauces or make tasty desserts. Think of it as a secret ingredient that helps make our food yummier and more enjoyable for everyone, especially those who can't have gluten.