Arrowroot Powder

Arrowroot Powder is a thickening agent derived from the roots of theTacca leontopetaloidesa plant grown in tropical climates. It has no odor and a neutral flavor, but provides a glossy appearance and silky mouthfeel to completed dishes. Arrowroot Powder does not develop a cloudy appearance, so it’s beneficial when making items with a clear finish, like jellies or fruit pie fillings. It is used very much like corn starch, though it has nearly twice as much thickening ability as corn starch. Arrowroot powder has three times the thickening power of wheat flours and should be used cautiously in cooking.

When arrowroot is processed, the rhizomic roots are cleaned of their paper-like skins, ground into pulp, and mixed with water. The mixture of pulp and water is strained to remove any superfluous insoluble fibers; the remaining water is put in a bowl and allowed to separate into water and a wet starch, which sinks to the bottom. Once the water evaporates, the starch solids are finely ground into Arrowroot Powder. It is alternatively called arrowroot starch or arrowroot flour, but they all mean the same thing.

Tips From Our Kitchen

Arrowroot must be added to a soup or a stew in a slurry; adding dry powder to a dish will cause the powder to absorb the soup or stew and swell, creating unbreakable lumps. The slurry should be at least a 2:1 ratio of liquid to powder, so if you use 1 teaspoon arrowroot, mix it in a minimum of 2 teaspoons of water first. Arrowroot will break down if cooked at high temperatures so add it just at the end of your cooking time to avoid clumping. Arrowroot Powder can stand up to the acidity of vinegar so use it as the crispy coating on sweet and sour chicken. It can be baked, mixed in stew, tossed around a greased pan to make sure baked goods don’t stick, and frozen, all with no ill effects. However! It is not suitable for use with milk products, which cause it to turn slimy. The exception to this? It works wonderfully with eggs and custards, so it’s brilliant for thickening custard-based ice cream.

Our Arrowroot Powder comes from Thailand.

This product is certified as kosher.

Hungry for more information?

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Encyclopedia Brittanica: Arrowroot