Description
►It is a small, perennial herb with broad, flat, ovate-shaped leaves and grows to a height of 3 to 5 feet. It is a small, perennial herb with broad, flat, ovate-shaped leaves and grows to a height of 3 to 5 feet. The root is underground and is a small, cylindrical-shaped, cream-white/light red tuber, covered with thin surface scales.
►Arrowroot powder is gaining in popularity (at least in the Western world) as people are looking for substitutes and alternatives to cornstarch, either due to corn allergies and sensitivities or to avoid anything GMO and pesticide-laden.
►Today, arrowroot is used most often as a thickener in food. It serves as a gluten-free, healthier alternative to cornstarch, which is often a genetically modified (GMO) product. Also beneficial for sensitive digestive systems, it is one of the easiest starches for the body to digest.
►Arrowroot powder is enormously versatile, so you'd be remiss to only think of it as a thickener. In baking, I typically use arrowroot powder as a blend with other flours, such as almond flour, coconut flour and tapioca flour for bread and dessert recipes. But I find that it can definitely stand on it's own as well, in small quantities.
►Arrowroot starch is used in talcum powders and moisturizers as a thickening agent. When used in cosmetics, it enables active ingredients to penetrate the upper levels of your skin as it has great moisture-absorbing qualities. Arrowroot is often used in body powders to make your skin silkier and smoother. It softens your skin by enabling it to absorb moisture.
Features
- Arrowroot powder is a starchy substance that’s extracted from the root of a tropical plant known as Maranta arundinacea. When the arrowroot is harvested, it looks similar to other underground tubers such as cassava, yucca or kudzu, which are oblong in shape.
- Sometimes arrowroot powder is known as arrowroot flour or arrowroot starch and they’re all the same thing. It’s simply a white, powdery starch that’s naturally gluten-free, grain-free, vegan and paleo-friendly.
- Arrowroot powder is gaining in popularity (at least in the Western world) as people are looking for substitutes and alternatives to cornstarch, either due to corn allergies and sensitivities or to avoid anything GMO and pesticide-laden.
- If you’d like to make things crispy or crunchy, arrowroot powder is great for that. You could coat sweet potato fries in a dusting of arrowroot to make them crispier. You could also mix arrowroot powder with a blend of dried herbs to coat chicken before frying.
- In South America, arrowroot starch is used as a baby powder. It is a lightweight, white powder, which, when applied to the skin, gives a soft and smooth feel. Arrowroot is widely used in cosmetic products as a thickening agent. Though not much is known about its benefits for hair, its nutritional value does make it beneficial in hair care.