You may have heard of it but you have never tried Arrowroot powder to cook with. Arrowroot powder has been around since records have been kept on ways to cook. When you cook with arrowroot powder you may find that you like the way you can add a little seasoning to your food. It may not be something that you can use in every dish but it can help make a dish taste great. You may find that using arrowroot is also a healthy choice as well. So what are you waiting for, get cooking with arrowroot powder.

If you need a healthy substitute for cornstarch or flour, arrowroot powder is a good alternative. This tasteless, weightless, white powdery substance comes from the arrowroot plant, grown in tropical places such as the Caribbean, and it is used to thicken foods such as sauces, puddings, desserts, and soups. It has many advantages over thickeners such as cornstarch. Its lack of flavor makes it an ideal addition to many of your favorite foods, because it won’t impair their taste. The substance is also colorless when it becomes a gel, so it will not discolor your dishes, either. Arrowroot powder works especially well with acidic liquids – much better than cornstarch, in fact. The other advantage it has over many other thickeners is that endures freezing well – which makes it an excellent addition to ice cream. A possible downside is that arrowroot powder doesn’t work well with dairy or meat sauces, so it’s best to use other thickeners for those.

One of the many good things about arrowroot powder is that a little goes a long way; you don’t need much of it to get the results you want. Instead of one tablespoon of cornstarch, use two teaspoons of arrowroot powder, and to substitute flour, use one teaspoon for every tablespoon of flour.

It takes less heat to thicken arrowroot powder than most other starches. For this reason, it is best to introduce arrowroot powder slowly to your cooking. It’s a good idea to prepare the powder by combining with some water before adding it to the cooking food. Here is where you need to be careful, because if the temperature is too high, it may not thicken. The best bet is to add the powder when you’re nearly done with cooking, since it thickens quickly.

Arrowroot powder is known for its health benefits. It digests well, so those with stomach disorders can consume it without worrying. Moreover, it does not contain gluten, so it is excellent for those with gluten intolerances. Strict dieters and weight watchers will also benefit from using arrowroot powder, since it is low in calories.

One disadvantage is that arrowroot powder is costlier than cornstarch, and can be challenging to come across. However, many Asian stores and health food stores, such as Whole Foods, carry it. If you can’t find it in stores, though, don’t worry: you can always order online from the companies that produce it, such as Bob’s Red Mill, The Spice House, or Pendery’s.

For more cooking and recipe tips take a look at these cupcake recipes on this site dedicated to cupcakes and cupcakes only.