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Corn starch in American sauces was probably introduced by Chinese immigrants, where starched based sauces are extremely common instead of flour-based ones, sinc
by bobthepanda 4y ago
Corn starch in American sauces was probably introduced by Chinese immigrants, where starched based sauces are extremely common instead of flour-based ones, since wheat is historically less common in southern China (where most early Chinese immigrants came from)
Starch also has the nice property of tenderizing meat and locking in juices when used in a marinade, in a process called “velveting.” https://www.bonappetit.com/story/velveting-meat/amp https://www.bonappetit.com/story/velveting-meat/amp
- b112 4y agoCorn is a new world thing, although I admit that early Chinese immigrants could have discovered it as a replacement for some Chinese starchy thing...
- bobthepanda 4y agoCorn shows up in China during the 1500s via the Phillipines. https://amp.goldthread2.com/food/how-corn-ended-china-americas/article/2158689 https://amp.goldthread2.com/food/how-corn-ended-china-americ... The traditional starch is water chestnut, and you can still buy it, but corn is a lot easier to turn into a starch. In general, a lot of things went via the Pacific as well during the Columbian Exchange. East, Southeast, and South Asian looks very different without chilis, tomatoes, or sweet potatoes to name a few.
- b112 4y agoEarlier than I thought, I figured a couple of centries later.