406331 Tue May 29 21:17:50 -0700 2007 10 31 Home Cooking 0 2612298 Any difference? Tue May 29 21:17:50 -0700 2007 11408 melly 1 2612384 Not much (unless you are a potato or a corn cob). Cornstarch can be used for baking cakes. Potato flour can be used as a subtle thickener. Tue May 29 21:52:31 -0700 2007 2612298 36661 Sam Fujisaka 2 2621142 Careful that potato starch and potato flour are not the same thing. It can end in disaster for some recipes (ask any newly dxed celiac who buys the wrong one!) Fri Jun 01 12:21:24 -0700 2007 2612384 15001 jsaimd 3 2621337 Oops--missed that one. You're right! Fri Jun 01 13:03:58 -0700 2007 2621142 36661 Sam Fujisaka 1 2612443 For thickening, I usually use potato starch--you need less of it, it has a more "neutral" flavor, and it can tolerate a higher heat. Potato starch also works well to make a tender cake (part potato starch, part flour), in recipes that have a lot of egg to hold the structure. (sponge cake, torta mantovana, etc.) Tue May 29 22:22:36 -0700 2007 2612298 49653 another_adam 1 2612452 When used as a coating for frying, potato starch seems to crisp a little better than corn starch. Tue May 29 22:28:01 -0700 2007 2612298 93805 hannaone 1 2612475 Potato anc corn starch can be used interchangeably in many applications. Potato starch is used in almost all of them in Europe, as opposed to cornstarch. As well, potato starch doesn't clump up and lose it's oomph if boiled the way cornstarch does. and potato starch is kosher. not sure if cornstarch always is. Tue May 29 22:45:53 -0700 2007 2612298 52499 ChefJune 2 2613750 As they are both vegetable, they are both kosher. However cornstarch being from a grain, is not kosher for passover. Potato starch should be. Sponge cake is a classic passover dessert, made with potato starch and/or matzo cake meal (ie, very finely ground matzo). Wed May 30 11:01:47 -0700 2007 2612475 13445 Louise 1 2613374 It depends what you're using it for. When mixed and heated to a jello like consistency, corn starch is more chunky, breaks apart, and has a powdery aftertaste. Potato starch is more gooey, viscous, and stretchy. I know this from making Taiwanese oyster pancakes with both. the potato starch is the texture we go for. Wed May 30 09:27:53 -0700 2007 2612298 11577 Pei 2 2621114 I tried the potato starch as a gravy thickener and I liked it better than cornstarch. It heats back up and still looks like gravy the next day! Fri Jun 01 12:14:33 -0700 2007 2613374 11408 melly 3 2624375 Tapioca starch is also good Sat Jun 02 18:56:41 -0700 2007 2621114 14515 Stephanie Wong