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VEGAN FEAST SUBSCRIBERS' COOKING AND RECIPE FORUM>
More on thickeners:
Bryanna
Owner/Moderator
1587 posts
May 02, 2006
5:29 PM
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Okay, first of all, I've found out that kuzu and arrowroot are NOT the same thing-- I wish people would stop selling them as the same thing! I think the confusion stems from a popular term for kuzu-- "Japanese arrowroot".
kud·zu
n.
An eastern Asian vine (Pueraria lobata) having compound leaves and clusters of reddish-purple flowers. It is grown for fodder, forage, and root starch, and is a widespread weed in the southeast United States. asiafood.org says that you should use "half as much as you would arrowroot", just to confuse us further!
[Japanese kuzu.]
ar·row·root (ar'o-rut', -r?t')
n.
A starch obtained from the rhizomes of a tropical American perennial herb (Maranta arundinacea). It is used especially in cooking as a thickener.
The rhizome of this plant, cooked and eaten as a vegetable or used for starch extraction.
The plant itself.
The edible starch obtained from the rhizomes or tubers of plants in the genera Canna and Tacca.
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Here is something from foodsubs.com (Cook's Thesaurus):
http://www.foodsubs.com/ThickenStarch.html
Tips:
To avoid lumps, mix the starch with an equal amount of cold liquid until it forms a paste, then whisk it into the liquid you're trying to thicken. Once the thickener is added, cook it briefly to remove the starchy flavor. Don't overcook--liquids thickened with some starches will thin again if cooked too long or at too high a temperature.
Cornstarch, arrowroot, and tapioca are the most popular starch thickeners. They have different strengths and weaknesses, so it's a good idea to stock all three in your pantry.
Starch thickeners give food a transparent, glistening sheen, which looks nice in a pie filling, but a bit artificial in a gravy or sauce. If you want high gloss, choose tapioca or arrowroot. If you want low gloss, choose cornstarch.
Cornstarch is the best choice for thickening dairy-based sauces. Arrowroot becomes slimy when mixed with milk products.
Choose arrowroot if you're thickening an acidic liquid. Cornstarch loses potency when mixed with acids.
Sauces made with cornstarch turn spongy when they're frozen. If you plan to freeze a dish, use tapioca starch or arrowroot as a thickener.
Starch thickeners don't add much flavor to a dish, although they can impart a starchy flavor if they're undercooked. If you worried that your thickener will mask delicate flavors in your dish, choose arrowroot. It's the most neutral tasting of the starch thickeners.
Tapioca starch thickens quickly, and at a relatively low temperature. It's a good choice if you want to correct a sauce just before serving it.
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"To look like a goddess, eat like a peasant." Karen Andres
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Debbie
1133 posts
May 03, 2006
9:27 AM
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Thanks Bryanna! I will try arrowroot. This info is very useful. Do you mind to add it to your Ingredient Glossary page including the conversion chart. Thanks again!
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Debbie
Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all. ~ Harriet Van Horne
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Bryanna
Owner/Moderator
1589 posts
May 03, 2006
10:52 AM
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Good idea! I will!
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"To look like a goddess, eat like a peasant." Karen Andres
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Bryanna
Owner/Moderator
1595 posts
May 03, 2006
5:22 PM
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Debbie, I posted this material on my Ingredient Glossary page.
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"To look like a goddess, eat like a peasant." Karen Andres
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