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Potatoes are one of the most used vegetables around the world. They are also used to extract flour which is used in many different ways inside a kitchen. There are two different flours made from potatoes namely the potato flour and the potato starch flour. Many people remain confused between potato flour and potato starch and use one in place of another in a recipe with the result that not only the taste but also the texture and nutritional value of the recipe gets changed. Despite coming from the same potatoes, there are many differences between these two flours that will be talked about in this article.
Potato Flour
To make potato flour, whole of potatoes are cooked and dried and then finely ground to get a fine powder. The flour made from potatoes has a rich potato flavor, and it is used in bread and pancakes. It is also used as a thickener when making soups and gravies. Potato flour is popular among people afflicted with celiac disease as it is gluten free. Jewish people use potato flour during the Passover menu when they are not allowed to eat grains. As it is made after dehydrating potatoes, potato flour should be stored in a dry place as it becomes messy once it comes in contact with moisture.
Potato Starch
The starch obtained from potatoes is called potato starch. This starch is found in the cells of the tuber of potato plant, and to extract this starch, potatoes are crushed to release the starch grains. This starch is dried and converted into a powdery form, to be called potato starch flour. Potato starch looks like any other starch and has a bland taste because of the fact that the potatoes are peeled before starting the process to make the starch. Potato starch is used in the kitchen to make many different recipes.
To extract starch from potatoes, they are peeled and washed and made to undergo a process called rasping. They are further refined after rasping. As starch is made from uncooked potatoes, it does not absorb water easily. Potato starch flour is very light white colored powder that can be used for thickening of many soups and gravies. It can also be used along with other flours in baking.
Potato Flour vs Potato Starch
• Potato flour is obtained from whole potatoes after cooking and drying them, whereas potato starch is obtained after peeling and crushing uncooked potatoes.
• Potato starch is dried and converted into a white powder that has a lighter density than potato flour.
• Potato starch does not absorb water, whereas potato flour absorbs a lot of water as it is dehydrated before getting converted into flour.
• Potato flour has more potato flavor than potato starch. The taste of potato starch is bland.
• Potato flour is more suited for making dough than potato starch.
• Potato flour is obtained with simple grinding, whereas potato starch requires a more complex refining.
• Potato flour has much higher protein and fiber content than potato starch.