Tapioca
Teri Lee Gruss
Tapioca starch is ground from the root of the tropical cassava plant. It's used extensively in commercial gluten free products and recipes. It is a flavorless, high carbohydrate starch and, like other starches used in gluten free cooking, it is very low in nutrients. Use it as a portion- up to 50% of total flour ratio, in all purpose flour mixes and recipes to lighten the texture of baked goods. It is also used in batter coatings and breading recipes for crisp, golden crusts.
Tip:
Combine nutritious gluten free flours with high starch flours to improve the nutritional quality of gluten free cooking.
Tip:
Combine nutritious gluten free flours with high starch flours to improve the nutritional quality of gluten free cooking.
Xanthan Gum
Xanthan gum is a corn-based, fermented product. It is used extensively in the food industry to make products thicker and it's a common ingredient in gluten free recipes.If you use too much xanthan gum in a recipe you may notice a heavy, gummy or even "slimmy" texture in your baked goods- so measure carefully when using xanthan gum.
People with allergies or sensitivity to corn may be advised by their physician to avoid xanthan gum. Also, xanthan gum generally costs almost 3 times as much as guar gum.
Sources:
Herbst, Sharon Tyler and Herbst, Ron, The New Food Lovers Companion, Barron's Cooking Guide, 4th Ed., Barron's Educational Series, Inc., Hauppauge, NY, 2007
Washburn, Donna and Butt, Heather, Complete Gluten-Free Cookbook, Robert Rose, Inc., Toronto, Ontario, Canada , 2007
Case, Shelley, Gluten-Free Diet- A Comprehensive Resource Guide, Case Nutrition Consulting, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, 2006
