Many are the people who, for different reasons, demand other flours. In this article you will see that there is life beyond wheat. What's more, there are so many that we have missed some along the way. That is why you will read the ones that in our opinion are most recommended. Dive into a sea of possibilities!
Do we need other flours?
Stop what you are doing and pay attention to this article. Too many people think that the only flour that exists is that of wheat. As if it were the only thing Grind! The fact is that this type of flour has some properties that can result in Adverse effects if we abuse it. One of them is that after its ingestion there is a glucose spike in our body. Once this happens, we get a bassoon which results in tiredness.
This flour is little satiating and little nutritional contribution. However, we must recognize that there are also myths around it. There are those who affirm that it is enough to eliminate it from the diet to avoid all the ills of the world. Be that as it may, we wrote this article with the idea of showing you that the word "flour" goes beyond wheat. We are going to see some classes, very different from each other, of these other flours.
Chickpea flour
If you like seafood and have been to Cadiz you may have already tried it. It is the one used to make the famous shrimp tortillas. They are also present in pakoras from India, which we will discuss in another article. It is also used in fainá, a white pizza from Genoa. It is highly valued in vegan cuisine for its great protein content. Does it even make bread! However, the truth is that if we only use this it will have a dense crumb and a bitter aftertaste.
Rice flour
One of our other flours is from this cereal. As with wheat, it can be made with whole grain or without husk (white). It is common to use it in food for Celiac. Despite this, we must count on the fact that it cannot be baked without mixing it since it has very little protein. For what it is ideal is to thicken sauces without altering the flavor too much. In Japan it is used to prepare moches: gelatinous balls filled with red bean paste among other flavors.
kamut
The safest thing is that this word does not sound familiar to you at all. Designates a type of flour originally called Khorasan. It is a subspecies of an ancient wheat variety. In theory, no one has bothered to improve genetics since the age of the ancient egyptians. It is usually mixed with others to make a very tasty bread. The mixture gives it fluffiness, since by itself it would provide a very dense crumb. Can be used for confectionery taking into account that the food will come out something more caked than with wheat flour.
Tapioca
One of our other most curious flours is tapioca. More than a flour it is a starch and it comes from the fruit of the yucca. Obtaining it is more complex than with traditional flours since it is necessary to crush the root, squeeze it and dry it. Subsequently, the settling starch is obtained. This flour is typical of tropical and equatorial countries where cassava is grown. So, as an example we put the pao de queijo Brazilian.
They are crumb rolls hot with a certain taste to cheese. One advantage this flour offers is that it is gluten-free. It is also a great ally when it comes to thickening sauces or coating. Forget about using it to create bread. That is, by itself it does not have any flavor. That is why you need to mix it with other flavors if you want to prepare interesting dishes.
Wishbone flour
Finally, we will refer to the spelled. It is a very resistant cereal that survived all pests and natural disasters. There are indications that it was consumed in the old Persia seven thousand years ago! It fell into disuse during the XIXth Century although it has recovered some popularity. It can come in handy to prepare wheat pasta with a rustic touch. In the bread it provides a very abundant crumb and a slightly crunchy crust. Feel free to try all of these types of flour if you've already gotten tired of wheat!
