Have you ever had a recipe call for corn flour? But you only have cornmeal in your pantry. Is there a difference between the two?

Corn flour is made from corn ground into a very fine powder. It can be made from yellow corn, white corn, blue corn, Non-GMO or organic corn—it is field corn, though, not sweet corn. In the U.S. the most widely used corn is yellow corn. It is typically used as a thickening agent for sauces, stews, but it can also be used as a gluten-free substitute in many other recipes calling for traditional wheat flour.

Like corn flour, cornmeal is derived from grounding corn, too. However, the particle size varies. Cornmeal has a larger particle size than corn flour. It is used in breading, coatings, baking, and much more. It is also often used in baking as a release agent to prevent the dough from sticking to a pan. Most recipes use a medium-grind cornmeal, but there are varieties of grinds such as stone-ground (usually more coarse).

If you’re looking for a gluten-free alternative or an ingredient that adds a different flavor and color combination, try corn flour and cornmeal in your recipes such as this lemon cornmeal cake.