Corn Starch query

matuq, Apr 20, 7:46am
Can you buy this in NZ? Can I use Cornflour instead? It's in a list of items for a great window cleaner that I've been given.

nanasee1, Apr 20, 7:49am
Same product & interchangeable

matuq, Apr 20, 7:54am
Thx :o)

thewomble1, Apr 23, 1:17pm
There is a difference.
Cornstarch and corn flour show some differences between them. Cornstarch is made from the endosperm of the corn. This is due to the fact that starch constitutes the endosperm of the corn. On the other hand, corn flour is made out of the mixing of endosperm with corn gluten. It is important to know that bran constitutes what is called corn gluten. This is the main difference between cornstarch and corn flour.

It is interesting to note that cornstarch is used as a thickener. On the other hand, corn flour is also used as a thickener in the absence of cornstarch. One of the disadvantages of using corn flour as a thickener is that you need to have the quantity of corn flour equal to two times the quantity of cornstarch.

On the other hand, a little bit of cornstarch is enough to be used as a thickener. This is an important difference between cornstarch and corn flour. It is important to know that cornstarch is used in the cooking methods of American and Chinese cuisines. It is used in stir fry method of cooking, and in the preparation of different types of gravies.

On the other hand, corn flour is not much used in the American cuisine, but it is found used in the Chinese cuisine. Corn flour is on the other hand, more used as a traditional thickener when compared to cornstarch. It is believed that too much of sugar should be used in the case of cornstarch when compared to the corn flour.

Cornstarch is generally used to prevent eggs from curdling. It is also useful in the preparation of custards and cheese cakes. It is used to bring about crispness to the food. Cornstarch is of course preferred to corn flour in the thickening of dairy-based sauces.

buzzy110, Sep 17, 6:01pm
Thanks womble1. That is very interesting. In terms of cooking I would hazard a guess, from what you have posted, that arrowroot would be a better substitute for corn starch than corn flour but if being used for thickening then the difference may be sufficiently infinitesimal as to not make much difference.

However, I found this piece of information on the net:

"Where it doesn't work so well is in many fruit pies and some other baked goods (because it tends to break down under high heat), and in dairy dishes (you'll end up with a "gooey" texture)."