Types of Rice Flour
- Brown or white varieties of rice are found in basic rice flour. Brown rice flour is made from the whole rice kernel minus the outer husk and white rice flour is made from ground polished rice that has been separated from the bran and germ. Brown rice flour isn't much darker than white rice flour, but the texture isn't near as soft and smooth.
- White flour is often used in Asian cooking and is a standard ingredient in Asian noodle recipes. It does not contain gluten and even though it is used for many kinds of baking, it will not create proper rising in yeast breads unless it is mixed with wheat flour.
- Brown rice is equally gluten free and can be used in recipes the same way as white rice; however, brown rice has a nuttier flavor. It has a grainy consistency that gives a finer crumbliness in baked goods.
- Mochiko flour is a sweet flour ground from mochi rice. It is a short-grained rice that grows in Asia. It is used in sauces and other food recipes to provide a strong binding that can hold up to refrigerator and freezer temperatures without separating. It is not gluten free and is frequently used for breading foods for frying. It is also used for preparing common dessert foods that require flour. This flour is a basic ingredient in Japanese mochi, also called rice dumplings.