A flour made by grinding dried corn kernels, ranging from fine cornmeal and coarse polenta grits to the nixtamalized masa harina used for tortillas and tamales. It has a mildly sweet, nutty flavor and, being gluten-free, is often used as a wheat flour substitute in cornbread, some cakes and cookies, and as a coating for fried foods. It also thickens soups, stews, and sauces. Don't confuse American "corn flour" (finely ground cornmeal) with British "corn flour," which refers to cornstarch, a different, starch-only product used mainly for thickening.