Also known as the obedience plant, arrowroot is a perennial herb which is also the name for the starch that is obtained from its rootstock. It is a plant based starch obtained from rhizomes that is usually used as a thickening agent. It is made into a light white powder and is usually odorless but has a faint odor when mixed with water.
Usage
In markets it is found like a powder that is made from the drying the plant and is then ground. It is very popular in British cuisine and is used in biscuits, puddings, jellies, cakes and also savory dishes. Like corn starch it is a good thickening agent but it is tasteless and does not give the starchy taste in puddings like corn starch does.
Also, it thickens at a lower temperature than cornstarch or flour and is not affected by freezing, because of which it is preferred while cooking. Arrowroot is best used when your are to thicken an acidic liquid. Arrowroot is also, easily digestible and is therefore preferred over flour or cornstarch.
Nutritional Value
1.The calorie content of arrowroots is very low, in fact lower than that of potato.
2.It is free from gluten and is therefore used as starch in food preparations of celiac disease patients.
3.For long, arrowroot has been used against digestion discomforts, especially diarrhea.
4.Most of its health benefits relate to better digestive functioning like improved bowel movement.
Did you know?
It is most commonly used to cure gangrene. It is also used to cure septic wounds like spider bite or scorpio bite and helps to draw out the poison from your body. It is also known to treat smallpox.