Rice flour is a form of flour

Flour

Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...

 made from finely milled rice

Rice

Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...

. It is distinct from rice starch, which is usually produced by steeping rice in lye

Lye

Lye is a corrosive alkaline substance, commonly sodium hydroxide or historically potassium hydroxide . Previously, lye was among the many different alkalis leached from hardwood ashes...

.

Rice flour may be made from either white rice

White rice

White rice is the name given to milled rice that has had its husk, bran, and germ removed. This alters the flavour, texture and appearance of the rice and helps prevent spoilage and extend its storage life. After milling, the rice is polished, resulting in a seed with a bright, white, shiny...

 or brown rice

Brown rice

Brown rice is unmilled or partly milled rice, a kind of whole, natural grain. It has a mild nutty flavor, is chewier and more nutritious than white rice, but goes rancid more quickly because the germ—which is removed to make white rice—contains fats that can spoil...

. To make the flour, the husk of rice

Rice hulls

Rice hulls are the hard protecting coverings of grains of rice. In addition to protecting rice during the growing season, rice hulls can be put to use as building material, fertilizer, insulation material, or fuel.-Production:...

 or paddy is removed and raw rice is obtained. The raw rice is then ground to flour. Rice flour is a particularly good substitute for wheat flour, which causes irritation in the digestive systems of those who are gluten-intolerant. Rice flour is also used as a thickening agent in recipes that are refrigerated or frozen since it inhibits liquid separation.

In Japanese, rice flour is called either komeko or mochiko.

Mochiko (sweet rice flour) is made from sweet rice, also known as glutinous rice

Glutinous rice

Glutinous rice is a type of short-grained Asian rice that is especially sticky when cooked. It is called glutinous Glutinous rice (Oryza sativa var. glutinosa or Oryza glutinosa; also called sticky rice, sweet rice, waxy rice, botan rice, biroin chal, mochi rice, and pearl rice, and pulut) is a...

. Despite its name, this rice has no gluten

Gluten

Gluten is a protein composite found in foods processed from wheat and related grain species, including barley and rye...

. It is called mifen in Chinese, galapong in Ilokano/Filipino and pirinç unu in Turkish. The flour is principally starch

Starch

Starch or amylum is a carbohydrate consisting of a large number of glucose units joined together by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by all green plants as an energy store...

, plus a small amount of protein. The starch is waxy and makes an excellent gel.

Uses

Many dishes are made from rice flour, including rice noodles and desserts like Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese mochi

Mochi

Mochi is a Japanese rice cake made of glutinous rice pounded into paste and molded into shape. In Japan it is traditionally made in a ceremony called mochitsuki. While also eaten year-round, mochi is a traditional food for the Japanese New Year and is commonly sold and eaten during that time...

 and Filipino

Filipinos

Filipinos is the brand name for a series of biscuit snacks made by Kraft Foods. In Spain and Portugal they are produced and sold under the Artiach brand name. Under license to United Biscuits, in the Netherlands they are sold and produced locally under the Verkade brand...

 cascaron

Cascaron

Cascaron or bitsu-bitsu is a Filipino dessert made of rice flour, coconut and sugar....

. Rice flour is used in making General Tso's chicken

General Tso's chicken

General Tso's chicken is a sweet and spicy, deep-fried chicken dish that is popularly served in North American Chinese restaurants...

, neer dosa

Neer dosa

Neer dosa literally meaning Water dosa is a crepe prepared from rice batter. It is light type of dosa, an Indian dish. Neer dosa is a delicacy from Tulu Nadu region of Karnataka. 'Neer' is the word for water in Tulu and a few other Indian languages.-Basic cooking method:Rice is soaked in water for...

, golibaje (Mangalore bajji

Mangalore Bajji

Mangalore Bajji, as it is referred to in Karnataka , is a popular food made from maida, curd, rice flour, chopped onion, coriander leaves, coconut, jeera, green chillies, and salt....

), mantou

Mantou

Mantou, often referred to as Chinese steamed bun/bread, is a kind of steamed bun originating in China. They are typically eaten as a staple in northern parts of China where wheat, rather than rice, is grown. They are made with milled wheat flour, water and leavening agents...

, and rotti

Kori Rotti

Kori rotti is a popular spicy Coastal Karnataka dish, a combination of red-chili based chicken curry and crisp dry wafers made from boiled rice...

. The flour is mixed with flour of wheat

Wheat

Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...

, millet

Millet

The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops or grains, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. They do not form a taxonomic group, but rather a functional or agronomic one. Their essential similarities are that they are small-seeded grasses grown in difficult...

, and other cereals to make manni, a kind of baby food. Sometimes cut dried fruits or dried vegetables are added for flavour and more nutrients. This is commonly used in the districts of Dakshina Kannada

Dakshina Kannada

- Geography :The district geography consists of sea shore in the west and Western Ghats in the east. The major rivers are Netravathi, Kumaradhara, Phalguni, Shambhavi, Nandini or Pavanje and Payaswini which all join Arabian sea. Vast areas of evergreen forests which once covered this district, have...

, Udupi of Karnataka

Karnataka

Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...

, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. It is a regular ingredient in Bangladeshi cuisine and is used in many roti

Roti

Roti is generally a South Asian bread made from stoneground wholemeal flour, traditionally known as atta flour, that originated and is consumed in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. It is also consumed in parts of the Southern Caribbean, particularly in Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and...

s and desserts such as shondesh

Shondesh

Shondesh is a sweetmeat made from sugar and dairy. There are different varieties of it throughout Bangladesh and West Bengal. The sweet pancake-like snack is eaten in Bangladesh and West Bengal . It is important to note that what those in West Bengal refer as "shondesh" is a type of halwa in...

 and bhapa phitha (steamed rice cakes).

Mushroom cultivation

Brown rice flour can be combined with vermiculite

Vermiculite

Vermiculite is a natural mineral that expands with the application of heat. The expansion process is called exfoliation and it is routinely accomplished in purpose-designed commercial furnaces. Vermiculite is formed by weathering or hydrothermal alteration of biotite or phlogopite...

 for use as a substrate for the cultivation of mushrooms. Hard cakes of colonised substrate can then be fruited in a humid container. This method is often (though not always) employed by growers of psilocybin mushrooms, as it is a very simple and low-cost method of growing mushrooms.