Thickening Agents

In Chinese cooking, a range of thickening agents are used: arrowroot, tapioca flour, water chestnut flour, potato starch and cornstarch, but the last two are more common and easily available. Compared to cornstarch, potato starch is more gelatinous and gives a more subtle and glossy finish to a sauce, but because it is more gelatinous, the quantity used must be less than for the cornstarch.