flours
buckwheat flour
Confusingly, buckwheat isn’t related to wheat but comes from the seeds of a herb instead – and, unlike wheat, doesn’t contain gluten. Asian countries have used buckwheat as a staple for hundreds of years and it is famously used in Russia for making blinis. Easy to use and widely available, it is rich in B vitamins, magnesium, potassium, rutin and all eight essential amino acids, including the valuable lysine. Buckwheat is wonderfully versatile and, although it gives a strong flavour and dark colour to any mixture, the flour is great for baking.
related recipes: roasted vegetable tarts
amaranth flourDating back to the Aztecs and Incas, amaranth is a highly nutritious grain.
barley flourThe oldest cultivated cereal, barley does contain gluten but only a low amount.
buckwheat flourBuckwheat isn’t related to wheat and, unlike wheat, doesn’t contain gluten.
chestnut flourMade from dried chestnuts, this flour can be used to give a wonderfully strong nutty flavour in cakes and biscuits.
corn/maize flourThe various flours produced from corn have all been used for centuries throughout the world.
gram/chickpea flourA fine, golden-yellow coloured flour with a lovely subtle taste, gram flour is also known as besan flour.
kamut flourThis ancient grain is related to wheat but is often fine for wheat-sensitive people.
millet flourRich in minerals, millet also contains all eight of the essential amino acids.
oat flourParticularly high in soluble fibre, oat flour makes delicious breads, biscuits, muffins and pancakes.
potato flourThe dried starch of potatoes is used to make a flour which is a useful thickening agent.
quinoa flourPronounced ‘keenwha’, quinoa was once a sacred food of the Incas.
rice flourDating back to at least 5,000 BC in China, rice is a staple food throughout the world.
rye flourGreat for taste and texture, rye is a staple of central and Eastern Europe.
sago flourA starch made from the sago palm, this is very similar to tapioca but has a more subtle flavour.
soya flourThere is evidence that the isoflavones found in soya beans can help reduce levels of cholesterol in the blood.
spelt wheat flourSpelt is an ancient type of wheat grown by the Romans with a slightly nutty flavour.
tapioca flourTapioca is made from the cassava root and the flour is useful as a filler or thickener.
