See also: starch - rice starch - corn starch - wheat starch - potato starch - starchy foods
What it is and where it is
Starch is the main energy reserve of plants, where it is concentrated above all in tubers, such as potatoes and tapioca, and in seeds, such as those of rice, corn and wheat.
From the food point of view, starch is a very important substance for humans as well, since it constitutes the preponderant part of complex carbohydrates taken in a balanced diet. We find it in large quantities in potatoes, pasta, rice and more. general in cereals and their derivatives At room temperature it is insoluble in water, but is able to absorb it in large quantities.
Each gram of starch provides 4.2 calories.
As did
From a chemical point of view, starch is a polysaccharide made up of two glucose polymers:
- a linear one, called amylose (20%)
- and a branched one, called amylopectin (80%)
Digestibility of starch
The digestibility of starch is inversely proportional to the size of the granules and directly proportional to the percentage of amylopectin. Small and branching granules are in fact easily attacked by digestive enzymes, to which they expose a greater specific surface.
The digestibility increases considerably following the cooking of the food.
In hot water, at a temperature of about 55-60 ° C, the starch gelatinizes, the granules swell becoming less compact and the specific weight is lowered. This transformation is responsible for the rising of the gnocchi once cooked.
On the contrary, the cooling of starchy foods allows a reorganization of the starch molecules contained in them (which explains, for example, the lower digestibility of stale bread compared to fresh bread). As a consequence of this recrystallization, resistant starch granules are formed, indigestible and therefore comparable to dietary fibers (cold pasta has a lower glycemic index than freshly cooked pasta).
Starch is widely used in the industrial field, where it finds many applications ranging from the food sector (thickening agent, stabilizer and source of maltodextrin, fructose, glucose and derivatives) to the pharmaceutical sector (it is part of the tablet formulation).
Sources of starch
There are several plants from which to extract starch. The predominant one is corn (Zea corn), of which the seeds (grains) are exploited, which once ripe contain in the endosperm (which constitutes 82% of the seed), about 61% of starch. The remainder is mainly made up of H2O and proteins (gluten). Other good sources of starch are potatoes, wheat, tapioca and sorghum.
Other Cereals and Derivatives Amaranth Wheat starch Corn starch Rice starch Modified starch Oat starch Bulgur Whole grains Corn Flakes Crackers Oat bran Bran Cus cus Amaranth flour Oat flour Buratto flour Spelled flour Buckwheat flour Corn flour Corn flour Millet Barley flour Quinoa flour Small spelled flour (Enkir) Rice flour Rye flour Sorghum flour Flour and semolina Whole wheat flour Manitoba flour Pizza flour Spelled Rusks Focaccia Nuts Wheat or wheat Wheat germ Burnt wheat Buckwheat Breadsticks Oat milk Rice milk Corn Maizena Malt Millet Muesli Barley Stale bread Unleavened bread and Pita Bread Carasau bread Egg pasta Rice pasta Wholemeal pasta Piadina Small spelled Pizza Pop corn Baked goods Quinoa Rice Basmati rice Converted rice White rice Rice Wholemeal Parboiled Rice Puffed Rice Venus Rice Rye and Horned Rye Semolina Semolina Sorghum Spaghetti Spelled Teff Tigelle Triticale OTHER ARTICLES CEREALS AND DERIVATIVES Categories Food Alcoholics Meat Cereals and derivatives Sweeteners Sweets Offal Fruit Dried fruit Milk and derivatives Legumes Oils and fats Fish and fishery products Salami Spices Vegetables Health recipes Appetizers Bread, Pizza and Brioche First courses Second courses Vegetables and Salads Sweets and Desserts Ice creams and sorbets Syrups, liqueurs and grappas Basic Preparations ---- In the Kitchen with Leftovers Carnival Recipes Christmas Recipes Dietary Recipes Light Recipes Woman's Day, Mother's Day, Dad's Day Functional Recipes International Recipes Easter Recipes Recipes for Celiacs Recipes for Diabetics Holiday Recipes Valentine's Day Recipes Vegetarian Recipes Protein Recipes Regional Recipes Vegan Recipes
