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Rice flour

language culture Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Rice flour is a fine powder produced by milling rice grains.

Two kinds of rice flour
Two kinds of rice flour

It serves as a versatile ingredient in global cooking and industry. Many chefs use it as a substitute for wheat flour. It also functions as an effective thickening agent. This is especially useful for recipes that are frozen or refrigerated. In these cases, rice flour helps prevent liquid separation. It is important to distinguish rice flour from rice starch. Rice starch is usually produced by steeping rice in lye.

The production of rice flour begins with the removal of the husk. This process leaves the raw rice or paddy. The grains are then ground into a fine powder. There are two primary milling methods used today. Dry-milling involves grinding dry rice grains. This produces a shelf-stable flour that is easy to store.

Rice flour 2
Rice flour 2

Wet-milling requires soaking the rice grains in water first. In Korea, this involves soaking, draining, and grinding with a stone-mill. The resulting wet-milled flour feels like moist, breakable sand. Because of its moisture, it is typically stored in a freezer.

Different varieties of rice create distinct types of flour. Most people use the term "rice flour" for non-glutinous white rice. However, rice can also come from indica, japonica, or wild varieties. When made from glutinous rice, it is called glutinous rice flour or sweet rice flour. In Japan, specific names exist for these types. Mochigomeko, or mochiko, is made from ground cooked glutinous rice. It is used to make mochi. Non-glutinous rice flour is called jōshinko in Japan.

Mitarashi dango by yomi955 in Kyoto
Mitarashi dango by yomi955 in Kyoto

Other varieties include brown rice flour, black rice flour, red rice flour, and green rice flour.

Cultural traditions use these flours to create unique textures. In the Philippines, a specific dough called galapóng is made. This involves soaking uncooked glutinous rice overnight to allow slight fermentation.

1097Foods Bread Cuisine of Bulacan 01
1097Foods Bread Cuisine of Bulacan 01

The rice is then ground into a smooth, viscous dough. This dough is the base for many native desserts known as kakanin. Cooks may add coconut milk, wood ash lye, or other ingredients. The final products can be baked, steamed, boiled, or fried. Common examples include dishes like puto or bibingka.

East Asian cuisines rely heavily on these different rice powders. In China, rice flour is used for jian dui and tangyuan.

Jian dui in London (Chinatown)
Jian dui in London (Chinatown)

It is also used for nian gao, qingtuan, and yuanxiao. Japanese cooks use mochiko for dango and mochi. They also use jōshinko for various confectioneries. In Korea, different flours are used for tteok rice cakes and hangwa confections. Glutinous rice flour, or chapssal-garu, is used for gochujang chili paste. It is even used as a rice glue for kimchi.

Rice flour is a staple across South and Southeast Asia. In South India, it is used for dosa, puttu, and chakkuli. It can be mixed with millet or dried fruits to make manni, a type of baby food. In Sri Lanka, it is used for appa and string hoppers.

Khanom tom
Khanom tom

In Nepal, the Newar people use it for yomari and chataamari. Another famous Nepalese food is sel roti.

Nepali Sel Roti and Khabjey
Nepali Sel Roti and Khabjey

In Central America, rice flour is used as a substitute in pupusas. This demonstrates the global reach of the ingredient.

Beyond the kitchen, rice flour has several non-culinary applications. It is used within the cosmetics industry. For example, La Diaphane is a rice flour cosmetic endorsed by Sarah Bernhardt.

It also plays a role in agriculture through mushroom cultivation. Growers can combine brown rice flour with vermiculite. This mixture serves as a substrate for growing edible mushrooms. This method is often used because it is simple and low-cost.

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🖼️ Images & Media (9)
File:Two kinds of rice flour.jpg
Two kinds of rice flour.jpg
File:Rice flour 2.jpg
Rice flour 2.jpg
File:1097Foods Bread Cuisine of Bulacan 01.jpg
1097Foods Bread Cuisine of Bulacan 01.jpg
File:Mitarashi dango by yomi955 in Kyoto.jpg
Mitarashi dango by yomi955 in Kyoto.jpg
File:Jian dui in London (Chinatown).jpg
Jian dui in London (Chinatown).jpg
File:Khanom tom.JPG
Khanom tom.JPG
File:Nepali Sel Roti and Khabjey.JPG
Nepali Sel Roti and Khabjey.JPG
File:Naan Berenji 16.jpg
Naan Berenji 16.jpg
File:Cheret, Jules - La Diaphane (pl 121).jpg
Cheret, Jules - La Diaphane (pl 121).jpg
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