Colloquial, somewhat dated term for wheat flour, often used in older recipes or nostalgic contexts. Cross-referenced with 小麦粉.
My grandmother's recipe says 'merikenko'.
flour made from American wheat
Original, now dated meaning referring specifically to flour made from wheat imported from America. The term later broadened to mean wheat flour in general.
In the Meiji era, merikenko referred to flour made from American wheat.