cornflour

Cornflour (known as cornstarch in North America) is a versatile powder made from the starch of maize kernels. While it shares a name with the sweet, yellow vegetable we eat on the cob, cornflour serves a very different purpose. It is primarily used as a thickening agent in cooking and baking. Unlike standard wheat flour, cornflour is gluten-free, and it can create a clear, glossy finish when added to liquids—perfect for translucent sauces like those found in Asian stir-fries or fruit glazes. (In American English, "corn flour" often means a different product: finely ground whole corn, closer to a very fine cornmeal.)

The secret to using it successfully is mixing the powder with a little cold water to form a "slurry" before adding it to a hot liquid. This prevents clumping and helps it thicken evenly. Usually you then heat it briefly so it can do its job, and avoid boiling it hard for a long time, which can make the sauce thin again. In baking, it is often blended with wheat flour to produce a more tender, delicate crumb in cakes and shortbread cookies.

Beyond the kitchen, cornflour has surprising applications! Artists and crafters use it to make papier-mâché paste—a simple mixture of cornflour and water that becomes tacky and strong when heated. This paste is ideal for creating sculptures and masks. Because it is highly absorbent, cornflour is also useful for household tasks like lifting grease stains from fabrics or acting as a gentle dry shampoo. Whether you are perfecting a gravy recipe, building a miniature volcano for a school project, or cleaning up a stubborn spill, cornflour is a remarkably powerful and adaptable ingredient to have on hand!