What Is a Good Thickener Other Than Cornstarch?

Cooks can use a wide variety of ingredients to thicken their foods, but some of them have noteworthy drawbacks. For example, peanut butter will thicken a sauce quite adequately, but it's high in fat and changes both the taste and the appearance. Cornstarch and other general-purpose thickeners have little flavor of their own, and create a clear or opaque sauce without altering the color noticeably. Does this Spark an idea?

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How Thickeners Work
- Starch-based thickeners all work in much the same way, though the end result differs depending on which starch you've used. Once the starch is moistened and whisked into your cooking liquid, the heat and moisture causes the starch granules to swell and absorb water. As the temperature continues to rise, the swollen granules begin to leak chains of starches into the cooking liquid. These form a loose structure similar to a sponge, immobilizing the liquid to some degree and causing it to become thick and viscous.
Thickeners from Grain
- Every grain contains a significant percentage of starch, and most grains are refined for their starch to some degree. However, only a few of them are common in the home kitchen. Aside from cornstarch, the most widely used in American kitchens is wheat flour. This isn't a pure starch, so it takes more flour than cornstarch to thicken a given quantity of liquid. The proteins in the flour form a layer of foam on the surface of the sauce, which must be skimmed off. Rice starch, or rice flour, is available in Asian markets and can also be used as a general-purpose thickener.
Thickeners from Roots
- Most alternative starches come from roots of various kinds. Potato starch was the first to become commercially available, and is widely used in Europe. It thickens quickly, but also breaks down quickly if overcooked. Tapioca powder, as opposed to pearls, looks like cornstarch and works in a similar fashion. However, it can give sauces a stringy texture that some diners object to. Arrowroot, from the South American plant of that name, is one of the best alternatives. It thickens quickly, produces a fine, glossy, clear sauce and doesn't readily break down when overcooked.
Non-Starch Thickeners
- Although starch-based thickeners are the most versatile for general-purpose use, others can be useful in specific applications. Pectin, a carbohydrate found in the cell walls of fruits and vegetables, is best known as the thickener of jams and jellies. However, it can also be used in fruit sauces, and the pureed vegetable sauces known as coulis benefit from natural pectin as well. Gelatin, a protein, can be used to thicken foods that will be served cold. There are also several seaweed-based thickeners, such as agar-agar and carrageenan, or Irish moss, that are used industrially or in regional or vegetarian cuisine.