Starchy Foods In General

The cereals in commonest use as food products are wheat, corn, rice, rye, barley, oats, buckwheat. From these are manufactured a variety of flours and meals.

PLATE III.

WHEAT.

BARLEY.

RYE.

OATS.

CORN.

RICE.

STARCH GRANULES, MAGNIFIED. (From Bulletin No. 13, Division of Chemistry, United States Agricultural Bureau).

DRAWN BY GEO.YARX.

About 30 per cent of all cereals produced in the world are grown in the United States, and at least one fourth of the total wheat production is from this country; on the other hand, 98 per cent of the rye and 75 per cent of the barley and oats are grown in Europe. The United States produces about 75 per cent of the corn of the world. These estimates give a general idea of the relative use of these cereals, and illustrate the great preponderance of wheat bread and cornmeal and other preparations of corn eaten in the United States.

PLATE IV.

Maize Starch x 145.

Wheat Starch x 145.

(From Bulletin No. 13, Division of Cliemistry, United States Agricultural Bureau).

PHOTO BY CLIFFORD RICHARDSON.

Besides the cereals and vegetables which, like the potato, are composed chiefly of starch, there is a large miscellaneous group of starchy foods used as flours, which are therefore conveniently considered with the cereals. Such are arrowroot, tapioca, cassava, sago, and peas. Peanuts, chestnuts, and plantains are also sometimes used to furnish flour.

Starch is the term applied to the fecula or granular material found in fruits, roots, and tubers and in the cellular tissue of plants. The structure and form of the starch granules vary, and those from different plants may be distinguished by microscopic examination.

PLATE V.

Rice Starch x 150.

Rice Starch x 450.

(From Bulletin No. 18, Division of Chemistry, United States Agricultural Bureau).

PHOTO BY CLIFFORD RICHARDSON.

PLATE VI.

MARUNTA.

POTATO.

GINGER.

SAGO.

PEAS.

BEANS.

STARCH GRANULES, MAGNIFIED.

(From Bulletin No. 13, Division of Chemistry, United States Agricultural Bureau).

DRAWN BY GEO. MARX.

PLATE VII.

Bean Starch x 145.

Pea Starch x 145.

(From Bulletin No. 13, Division of Chemistry, United States Agricultural Bureau).

PHOTO BY CLIFFORD RICHARDSON.

PLATE VIII.

Potato Starch x 48.

Potato Starch.

(From Bulletin No. 13, Division of Chemistry, United States Agricultural Bureau).

PHOTO BY CLIFFORD RICHARDSON.

Patients, as a rule, are ignorant as to the nature and limitations of " starchy foods," and their conception of them is based upon such foods as resemble powdered laundry starch in appearance, like arrowroot, cornstarch, etc. After being told to eat no starchy foods, they not infrequently will say they suppose that potatoes are not starchy. The expression at best is not an accurate one; for many starch-holding foods contain a large proportion of other ingredients, especially proteids, as will be seen from the following table furnished by Riibner: