Starch

Baking IngredientGrainRoot-vegetableNeutralMildOdorlessClean

Nutrition (per 100 g)

Calories: 360
Protein (g): 0.3
Fat (g): 0.1
Carbs (g): 90
Fiber (g): 0
Sodium (mg): 3

Values represent refined plant starches (corn, potato, tapioca, wheat) and are predominantly carbohydrate with negligible protein and fat. Moisture and granule type can slightly change weight, clarity, and thickening power.

Storage

Room temp: up to 365 days
Refrigerated: up to 0 days
Frozen: up to 0 days

Starch is a fine, white powder extracted from plant sources such as corn, potato, tapioca, or wheat. It tastes neutral with a silky mouthfeel and forms glossy gels when heated in liquid, making it a go-to thickener for sauces, gravies, pie fillings, and stir-fries. Sold as cornstarch, potato starch, tapioca starch, or wheat starch, it disperses in cold water and thickens rapidly near a simmer.

People across the world have long extracted starch by washing ground roots or grains to isolate the granules, then drying them to a shelf-stable powder. Cassava-based tapioca arose in South America and spread through the tropics, arrowroot was refined in the Caribbean, potato starch became common in Northern Europe, and cornstarch was industrialized in North America.