Flour is a product obtained from the grinding of cereals, legumes and vegetables. Here are the various types of flour.

Wheat flour is obtained by grinding the caryopsis (grain), deprived of the outer parts rich in cellulose and fats which are sieved until the semolina is obtained. To obtain a finer grade of flour, subsequent regrinding is carried out. In this way, the two most used products are obtained: durum wheat semolina, for the industrial production of pasta, and soft wheat flour, for bread making and desserts. The latter is divided into 00 flours (the finest), 0, 1,2 and wholemeal.

In home cooking, the most used types of flour are 00 and 0, the first is used for the most delicate desserts, while the 0 for fresh pasta and the others (including wholemeal) for rustic doughs. White flour, however, has countless functions in the kitchen since it is used for sauces and creams, to coat foods to be fried and to bind sauces of all kinds (thanks to its thickening power). However, it is very important that the flour has a regular cooking time (at least 10 minutes), otherwise the bitter taste could alter the taste of the preparation.

Yellow flour, the undisputed protagonist of polenta, is obtained from corn or maize, with procedures quite similar to those used for white flour. And, depending on the type of grinding, you get coarse-grained or bramata flour or finer flours suitable for making desserts.

Then there is the buckwheat flour, obtained from the grinding of buckwheat: it is used especially in Valtellina for the preparation of polenta taragna or pizzoccheri. This flour is also part of the compound of blini, pancakes typical of Russian cuisine.

Other flours are rye flour (mainly used for bread making), chickpea and chestnut flour (obtained by grinding legumes and dried chestnuts) and finally rice flour (used above all in the preparation of creams and food for babies and children).