Rice flour

Generality

Rice flour is a derivative of the well-known cereal, with countless gastronomic applications; more precisely it is a powder obtained by grinding the fruits of Oryza sativa (Family Poaceae, Genus Oryza, Species O. Sativa ).

These fruits, which to tell the truth are real seeds, if they are used for the production of refined rice flour undergo some withdrawal and processing processes that can be summarized as follows: harvesting (for harvesting), cleaning, husking and bleaching (if the rice were destined to the trade in its entirety would continue the processing cycle further). Even rice flour, like wheat flour, can be of different types: white rice semolina, wholegrain rice semolina, white rice flour and wholemeal rice flour.

Although they may look very similar, rice flour and rice starch do NOT constitute the same product. It is true that refined rice flour has a basically starchy composition, with a very low intake of proteins, lipids and fibers; however, rice starch is obtained by further breaking down the powder, which - in order to increase its thickening capacity and solubility - breaks down and eliminates all the nutritional parts that do NOT constitute carbohydrates.

Nutritional composition of rice flour - Reference values of the INRAN Food Composition Tables

Nutritional values (per 100 g of edible portion)

Edible part		100.0%
water		12, 3g
Protein		7, 3g
Lipids TOT		0.5g
	Saturated fatty acids	- g
	Monounsaturated fatty acids	- g
	Polyunsaturated fatty acids	- g
	Cholesterol	0, 0mg
TOT Carbohydrates		87, 0g
	Starch	79, 1g
	Soluble sugars	0.0g
Dietary fiber		1.0g
Power		360, 0kcal
Sodium		4, 0mg
Potassium		104, 0mg
Iron		0.4mg
Football		7, 0mg
Phosphorus		90, 0mg
Thiamine		0.05 mg
Riboflavin		0, 04mg
Niacin		1, 40mg
Vitamin A		0.0 µg
C vitamin		0, 0mg
Vitamin E		0, 0mg

In Western culture, compared to wheat, rice flour has a very limited gastronomic use although, thanks to its "purity" from gluten (a protein responsible for a rather severe and booming food intolerance), it is increasingly used in the composition of gluten-free foods ( gluten-free ). On the contrary, in the east, rice flour is a progenitor of the local diet and goes on to compose some traditional recipes like mochi sweets and Japanese rice noodles .

Rice flour lends itself to the dough: first courses, some leavened desserts with CHEMICAL yeast, some biscuits and NON-leavened bread; it is appreciable in the smattering of fried foods and as thickened for some soups, accompanying sauces or puddings.

Click here to view Alice's Video Recipes with Rice Flour

Nutritional characteristics

The white rice flour does not differ much from that of wheat most commonly used in Mediterranean cuisine preparations. The differences are:

Gluten free
A higher prevalence of starches on proteins and fats
Lower humidity and greater energy intake
Less dietary fiber
With the exception of phosphorus, a lower concentration of mineral salts
A higher concentration of thiamine and niacin (and a lower concentration of riboflavin).

Rice flour, although frequently referred to as "light flour", has a digestive commitment and a nutritional thickness that can be completely superimposed on those of wheat flour or other cereals (except for celiacs, which gain a significant advantage).