If you’ve ever skipped the starch in a sauce recipe, you know the difference it makes. Starches provide the consistency and complexity of food in the form of texture, or what is often referred to as body. In the culinary world, there is a term called “nappé”, which indicates the correct thickness of a sauce. You coat a spoon evenly with the sauce and draw a line down the back. If it’s a clean line, the sauce is not too thick or too thin.
White flour is commonly called for in recipes to thicken sauces. However, there are a handful of other options that provide a similar, if not better body. Cornstarch is probably the most popular lining shelves, but tapioca starch can also be found in pretty much every grocery store. They look the same — bright white, fine, and powdery — and are gluten-free alternatives to white flour.
But are the two interchangeable in the kitchen? What’s the difference between cornstarch and tapioca starch, and when should you opt for one over the other?
The price of tapioca starch is much cheaper than corn starch
The two are interchangeable the majority of the time, especially for thickening sauces and providing consistency to components like pie fillings. For such culinary purposes, cornstarch is more potent. Use double the amount of tapioca starch if it’s what you opt for instead. They are also not a fair swap when it comes to temperature. Tapioca remains stable in freezing temperatures and is the better option for frozen products, whereas cornstarch begins to break down. On the other hand, tapioca becomes stringy when it reaches a boiling point, while cornstarch is more tolerant of high heat.
Another difference lies in the appearance of the final product. Cornstarch results in a more matte, opaque finish as opposed to the shiny, translucent finish common with tapioca starch. There’s also a cost factor — tapioca tends to have a higher price point than cornstarch.
