refined rice flour; glutinous rice flour for dumplings
Specifically a fine flour made from glutinous rice, used to make shiratama dango and other soft, chewy Japanese sweets. Not interchangeable with regular rice flour (上新粉).
See also: 白玉 (しらたま)
Shiratama dumplings made with shiratamako are soft and chewy.
This recipe uses shiratamako (glutinous rice flour).
From 白玉 (しらたま, 'white gem' or 'shiratama dumpling') + 粉 (こ, 'flour'). The name refers to the white, gem-like dumplings made from this flour.