Glutinous Rice Flour: How Many Grams in a Teaspoon?
Glutinous rice flour is milled from waxy short-grain rice (100% amylopectin starch) with a density of 0.59 g/mL. Despite its name, it contains no gluten — 'glutinous' refers to its sticky, stretchy texture when hydrated. A 5g measurement error in mochi or tang yuan dough creates completely different textures. This is one of the few flours where gram precision is genuinely life-or-death for the recipe.
Quick convert
- US cup = 236.588 mL
- 1 tbsp = 14.787 mL
- 1 tsp = 4.929 mL
Reference table
| tsp | g |
|---|---|
| 1 | 3 |
| 2 | 6 |
| 3 | 9 |
| 4 | 12 |
| 5 | 15 |
| 6 | 17 |
| 7 | 20 |
| 8 | 23 |
| 9 | 26 |
| 10 | 29 |
| 11 | 32 |
| 12 | 35 |
| 13 | 38 |
| 14 | 41 |
| 15 | 44 |
| 20 | 58 |
| 25 | 73 |
| 30 | 87 |
Essential for mochi, tang yuan, dango, tteok (Korean rice cakes), Filipino kakanin, and Japanese wagashi. Also used as a thickener in sauces.
Do not confuse with regular rice flour — glutinous rice flour produces a chewy, stretchy texture; regular rice flour produces a crumbly, tender texture. They cannot be substituted.
FAQ
- Can I substitute glutinous rice flour for regular rice flour?
- No. They produce completely different textures. Glutinous rice flour creates a chewy, stretchy, mochi-like texture due to its amylopectin-dominant starch. Regular rice flour creates a crumbly, tender texture. They are not interchangeable.
- Is glutinous rice flour gluten-free?
- Yes. Despite the name, glutinous rice contains no gluten proteins whatsoever. 'Glutinous' refers to the sticky (glue-like) texture of the cooked starch. It is safe for people with celiac disease.