Sweet potato starch is an essential ingredient in many Sichuan recipes. Similar to tapioca, it is stronger than other starches. Sweet potato starch is commonly used for marinating meats, especially in boiled dishes. However, it is not good for thickening. Corn starch is more commonly used for thickening broth or to make a glazed coating on ingredients, called DăQiàn (打芡). We call for corn starch in many of our Sichuan recipes, such as Kung Pao Chicken, because it is easier to obtain.
According to Elaine at China Sichuan Food, Sichuan cooks use sweet potato starch to marinate meats, especially for boiled dishes, to make batter for deep-frying, to make jellies, and to give desserts a chewy texture.
Sources for sweet potato starch
You can order sweet potato starch online from Yami Buy, or search for it on Amazon.
(Note: My Chinese Home Kitchen does not participate in any affiliate marketing programs at this time. We offer links and referrals solely to help you find the ingredients for enjoying our recipes at home.)
Making your own at home
Sweet potato starch is fairly easy to make at home. You will need a blender, a bowl, and cheesecloth for straining. The process takes about a day, but can be shortened if you use an oven to dry the starch in the final stage. The yield from a batch of sweet potatoes is between 10% and 20%, so Elaine uses batches of about 3 lbs of sweet potatoes at a time. Please visit her blog to learn more.
Do you enjoy My Chinese Home Kitchen?
We enjoy sharing these authentic home recipes with you. Learn more about My Chinese Home Kitchen at our About page.
Please leave a comment, or SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter.
For more of our original videos, visit My Chinese Home Kitchen on YouTube and Rumble.
