taai3 baak6 fan2太白粉

Jyutpingtaai3 baak6 fan2

Yaletaai baahk fán

名詞

Definition

Potato starch, commonly used as a thickener in cooking.

colloquialfood

How it's used

While often used interchangeably with cornstarch in casual cooking, it is specifically derived from cassava. It is the go-to ingredient for achieving a glossy, translucent finish in stir-fry sauces or thickening soups. Unlike cornstarch, it tends to become very chewy when cooked for longer periods.

Measure word

baau1包bāu

Examples

zyu2煮ni1呢go3個zap1汁jiu3要gaa1加siu2少siu2少taai3太baak6白fan2粉。

You need to add a little tapioca starch to cook this sauce.

nei5你cyu4廚fong2房zung6仲jau5有mou5冇taai3太baak6白fan2粉aa4呀？

Do you still have any tapioca starch in the kitchen?

Common phrases

to thicken a sauce

Common mistake

Many learners confuse it with cornstarch, which is usually referred to as 粟粉. While both are used for thickening, they have different textures and heat tolerances, so recipes may specify one over the other.