There is always something new for me to discover at the market that caters to our city\u2019s north Asian transplants and culinary fans.\u00a0 This time, it was acorn starch.\u00a0 Gluten-free and intriguing, I couldn\u2019t resist grabbing a bag to experiment with.<\/p>\n
Koreans use acorn starch to make a jelly called dotormiuk<\/a>. \u00a0I had other plans for it. \u00a0In North America, acorns \u2013 the seeds of oak trees \u2013 were also a food staple among Native Americans and early settlers. \u00a0I won\u2019t get into the background<\/a> or nutritional research<\/a>, as others cover this ground far better than I can, but do a search, and you\u2019ll find that acorns are high in amino acids and that there are a variety of old-timey ways \u2013 including pancakes,\u00a0 pemmican, grits, and bread \u2013 to use this under-represented seed.<\/p>\n Because acorns have yet to make inroads into modern<\/em> U.S. cuisine, I turned to self-reliance<\/a> and Paleo food<\/a> sites for ideas on how to use acorn flour for baking. \u00a0The flavors of the Tuscan Chestnut Cake (rosemary, raisins, and walnuts) described in the latter of the two sites sounded interesting. \u00a0For a higher-nutrient recipe with these flavors in mind, I decided to make a batch of savory quinoa muffins using chopped figs, instead of raisins, for a hint of natural sweetness.<\/p>\n The result is a dense, moist muffin with a crispy top.\u00a0 The acorn flavor was not distinctive \u2013 it was overpowered by the stronger rosemary and walnut flavors. The muffins are tasty on their own, but a little fig spread complements their flavor well.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure raspberry spread would also taste good.<\/p>\n If you are interested, here is the nutritional breakdown for one muffin, assuming the recipe as is and 12 muffins per batch.<\/p>\n