Flour

Any grain (corn, rice, oats, rye, buckwheat, triticale), legume (peanuts, soybeans) and some fruits and vegetables (potato) can be milled into flour.  The grain is milled by breaking up the kernel into the germ, starch/protein, and bran.  The resultant mixture is then separated based on particle size. The protein in the flour, when mixed with water and kneaded, can form an elastic dough.  The starch, when mixed with water and heated, will thicken liquid mixtures. The primary flour used in the United States and most Western countries is wheat flour.   It is used for baking, thickening sauces and gravies, and coating meats, poultry, and vegetables prior to frying.