Flour

The term flour most commonly refers to raw cereal grains, after they have been milled, or ground into powder.

Cereal grains can be consumed without first grinding into flour, in dishes like porridge. But most often flour is a precursor for food preparation. Pasta, flat plates prepared from wet flour, is boiled, and then supplemented with sauces. Flours are mixed with other ingredients, and then baked, as in breads and cakes, or boiled, in puddings. Flours are mixed with other ingredients, and then fried, as in doughnuts and crepes.

Lightly milled cereal is known as a "meal", not a flour.