as a
thickening agent, one of the main
alternatives to
corn starch.
The claim is that potato starch leaves liquids clearer than does corn starch, and that things thickened with potato starch behave better after being reheated than things thickened with corn starch. Having used both of them in cooking, I can say that potato starch definitely has a smoother feel to it than corn starch, but I am skeptical of the the claims of greater clarity and reheating properties.
some people swear by it though; perhaps some more experimentation is in order...