Note that wheat is a type of grass, and is technically a grain.
Grains without gluten
Not all grains have gluten—only those closely related to wheat do. Grains which do not have gluten include:
- Corn (maize) and its variants or derivatives such as cornmeal, polenta, hominy, or masa
Rice (all varieties)
A note on rice: some varieties are called "glutinous". This just sounds similar to "gluten", but is in fact used to indicate the rice's stickiness. Glutinous rice does not have gluten, not even as traces, its stickiness comes from a special type of starch.
Millet
- Sorghum
- Oats (although many oat products are processed in plants that may have had wheat)
Sometimes confused for grains
Note that the following gluten free seeds are not grains, although sometimes they are confused for grains:
- Wild rice
- Quinoa
- Buckwheat (despite the name, not a wheat nor a grain)
- Amaranth
Non-grains used as gluten-free starches and flours
Therefore, all grain-like, starchy, or flour-type foods which are not grasses are always gluten free, including wild rice, quinoa (despite any other issues), and so on.
Additionally, flours or seeds based on non-grain seeds, nuts, and legumes are always gluten free, although there may be other dietary sensitivities. These include:
- Almonds
- Soy beans
- Peanuts
- Chickpeas
- Mesquite flour
- Amaranth
- Quinoa
- Wild rice
Finally, starches and flours based on roots, rhizomes, and so on are gluten free, including:
- Potato
- Sweet potato
- (True) yams
- Tapioca
Grains containing gluten
The following grains are all wheat relatives, and have gluten to a greater or lesser degree:
- Wheat
- Spelt
- Rye
- Tritical
- Barley
- Kamut
Note that the following are all processed wheat products or specific wheat varieties, and should be avoided to maintain gluten free diets:
- Farina
- Durum
- Semolina
- Couscous
See also:
Best Answer
In an answer to another question, someone else was looking for answers on dealing with thickening dairy. If you want to address thickening with corn starch, here are some beginning steps;
Although I understand you are looking for a common thickener, be aware of the possibilities as you may have one on hand one day from some other purpose. If the three steps above don't solve your problem, I think that you may be putting in more effort than just buying some more apt thickener. Even so, corn starch should do fine, it sounds like the problem may just be in the completeness of your preparation.