Farina

farina a word of Latin derivation which in both English and Italian just means flour. However, in some places or contexts it may have a more precise meaning, e.g. hard (but not durum) wheat flour, or potato flour.

Potato flour can be used as a thickening and binding agent, and as part of the flour content of cakes. Its high capacity for absorbing liquid helps to give cakes a moist texture and to enable them to keep well. Italian farina dolce is likewise an ingredient of cakes, but is made from chestnuts, not potato.