Potato starch and cornstarch are both similar ingredients that are required when making mochi. That’s why people often get confused between them and ask about the two.
If you are having trouble deciding which one is better, then going through this article should help you in selecting one of them.
Read through it to learn more about the major distinctions between both potato starch and cornstarch for mochi, including the main reasons why one is better than the other. That way, you can easily decide which to add to your recipe by choosing the one that fits your needs better than the others!
Potato Starch vs Cornstarch Mochi
Potato Starch
Some people put cornstarch or potato starch on their mochi. This gives the dish a unique taste and crunchy texture if you intend to fry it. Mochi was originally made in Japan, but other countries have also started importing it over time. Potato starch has always been a popular inclusion in the recipe and is still being used around the world to make delicious mochi. As the name suggests, this starch is extracted from potatoes. The vegetables are thoroughly crushed after which starch is released from the cells that are released after the process.
This is commonly used for things such as noodles, pasta, and various other cooking-related products. It doesn’t have a good taste of its own being a plain powder. But, when potato starch is added to a certain dish, it can give it a unique and delicious taste as well as a nice texture. The type of potato that the starch is extracted from doesn’t matter when preparing mochi, but you can choose a specific one if you have a strong preference.
Potato starch is widely used for this popular Japanese sweet because of its naturally sweet feel and the texture that it provides. It’ll make your mochi come out sweet and jiggly, which is arguably the best possible outcome. It’s a great dusting powder for the dish and lots of people prefer it over cornstarch for the simpler, sweeter taste that it has to offer. However, there are certain advantages to cornstarch as well, which brings us to the next part of this comparison.
Cornstarch
Other than potato starch another famous ingredient that people use when making mochi is cornstarch. The main reason why people compare these two ingredients with each other is because of how similar they look. On top of coming in powdered forms, you should note that both products also have similar use cases. This might confuse others at first but there is a major difference between the two ingredients.
Potato starch is made by taking small cuts of potatoes and then crushing them. The mashed potatoes will then go through some additional steps which allow people to make them into a powdered form. The same process is used when making cornstarch, however, this time, instead of taking potatoes, brands will use corn cobs. Considering this, the products might look similar, but their taste is completely different.
Depending on what the personal preferences of a person are, they might prefer one of these products out of the other. Keeping this in mind, you should note that both cornstarch and potato starch can be used when making Mochi. If you are having trouble getting one of the ingredients, then you can use the other one as an alternative. Because these will provide you with the same texture, there should not be any problems. The only main difference that you will notice is from the taste of these two products.
If you are curious about how this tastes, then you should try making mochi using both of the ingredients. Now eat this one by one to notice the difference between their flavors. This should also help you in deciding which type of starch tastes better. You can then select one of them when making mochi at your home. If you are going to order these from a restaurant then some people might wonder what ingredients the chef uses. While you should be able to tell from the taste if it is cornstarch or potato starch if you are still having trouble then you can ask the cooks directly.