Thickening powder is the starch used for thickening in cooking, and is also directly called starch or bean flour. The main types of thickening powders are potato starch, mung bean starch, wheat starch, lozenge flour, and lotus root flour.

Starch is a polymerization of glucose molecules, which is the most common form of carbohydrate storage in cells. Starch, also known as gravy powder in the food service industry, can be derived from starch-containing substances such as corn, sweet potatoes, wild acorns, and kudzu.