Cream corn powder

Whisk it into cold water or milk first to make a smooth slurry, then stir it into simmering liquid. Cook gently, stirring often, until it thickens and the corn taste is no longer raw; use the packet’s liquid ratio if it gives one, as blends differ.

Yes. Mix it with a little cold water until smooth, stir it into the simmering soup and cook for several minutes, stirring, so it thickens evenly and loses its raw-flour taste. It gives a corn flavour and a less glossy finish than cornflour.

No. Cream corn powder is a dry corn-based mix; creamed corn is a moist dish or tinned ingredient, while cornflour is mostly starch and is used chiefly for thickening. Powder mixes can include other ingredients, so they do not all behave alike.

Seal it in an airtight container and keep it in a cool, dry cupboard, away from steam and strong-smelling foods. Use a dry spoon and follow the packet’s use-by guidance; damp powder can clump and spoil.

For porridge, use fine yellow cornmeal or polenta and cook it in liquid until tender; the texture will be coarser and the cooking time longer. For thickening soup, cornflour works, but it will not give the same corn flavour.

You can add a little to savoury batters, such as cornbread or fritters, for corn flavour, but it is not a direct replacement for flour: it has little gluten-forming protein and may change how the batter absorbs liquid. Replace only part of the flour.