| Arrowroot Powder
Flavor: bland Arrowroot powder is the dried root of the arrowroot plant. It is valued chiefl y for its thickening properties, and is often used in thickening clear sauces and glazes and jellies.
It is also used as a primary ingredient in infant cookies, where its digestibility makes it an excellent alternative to flour. It is said to help soothe the pain of conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, and is considered a nutritious and easily digested food starch for infants and elderly patients. Arrowroot powder is also often used as a substitute for talcum in baby powder and body powder.
Arrowroot has several advantages over cornstarch. It has a more neutral fl avor and is more eff ective at a lower temperature. It tolerates acidic ingredients allowing for prolonged cooking. Sauces thickened with cornstarch turn into spongy if they’re frozen, those made with arrowroot can be frozen and thawed with impunity. Arrowroot’s downside is that it is pricier than cornstarch, and it’s not a good thickener for dairy-based sauces, since it turns them slimy. |