A process for producing thermally inhibited, non-pregelatinized granular starch comprising: (i) providing an alkaline non-pregelatinized granular starch having a pH of at least 7.2; (ii) subjecting the starch to a hydrothermal treatment to obtain a hydrothermally treated non-pregelatinized granular starch, said hydrothermal treatment being at a temperature of 100-170 °Cwith: - steam at a steam pressure of 0.1-15 bar, where: - at a given temperature T, the steam pressure is 0.3 bar above equilibrium steam pressure p(e), at said p(e) or below said p(e); or - at a given steam pressure p, the temperature is 10°C below dew point or vaporization point T(e), at said T(e) or above said T(e); or - a gas mixture comprising water vapor at a partial water vapor pressure of 0.1-15 bar, where: - at a given temperature T, the partial water vapor pressure is 0.3 bar above equilibrium partial water vapor pressure p(e), at said p(e) or below said p(e); or - at a given partial water vapor pressure p, the temperature is 10°C below dew point or vaporization point T(e), at said T(e) or above said T(e); (iii) dehydrating the hydrothermally treated non-pregelatinized granular starch to a moisture content of 2 wt% or lower and subjecting the starch to a thermal treatment by heating the starch to a temperature of 120 -190 °C, to obtain viscostability; (iv) cooling and optionally further processing the starch. (i) providing an alkaline non-pregelatinized granular starch having a pH of at least 7.2; (ii) subjecting the starch to a hydrothermal treatment to obtain a hydrothermally treated non-pregelatinized granular starch, said hydrothermal treatment being at a temperature of 100-170 °Cwith: - steam at a steam pressure of 0.1-15 bar, where: - at a given temperature T, the steam pressure is 0.3 bar above equilibrium steam pressure p(e), at said p(e) or below said p(e); or - at a given steam pressure p, the temperature is 10°C below dew point or vaporization point T(e), at said T(e) or above said T(e); or - a gas mixture comprising water vapor at a partial water vapor pressure of 0.1-15 bar, where: - at a given temperature T, the partial water vapor pressure is 0.3 bar above equilibrium partial water vapor pressure p(e), at said p(e) or below said p(e); or - at a given partial water vapor pressure p, the temperature is 10°C below dew point or vaporization point T(e), at said T(e) or above said T(e); - steam at a steam pressure of 0.1-15 bar, where: - at a given temperature T, the steam pressure is 0.3 bar above equilibrium steam pressure p(e), at said p(e) or below said p(e); or - at a given steam pressure p, the temperature is 10°C below dew point or vaporization point T(e), at said T(e) or above said T(e); or - at a given temperature T, the steam pressure is 0.3 bar above equilibrium steam pressure p(e), at said p(e) or below said p(e); or - at a given steam pressure p, the temperature is 10°C below dew point or vaporization point T(e), at said T(e) or above said T(e); or - a gas mixture comprising water vapor at a partial water vapor pressure of 0.1-15 bar, where: - at a given temperature T, the partial water vapor pressure is 0.3 bar above equilibrium partial water vapor pressure p(e), at said p(e) or below said p(e); or - at a given partial water vapor pressure p, the temperature is 10°C below dew point or vaporization point T(e), at said T(e) or above said T(e); - at a given temperature T, the partial water vapor pressure is 0.3 bar above equilibrium partial water vapor pressure p(e), at said p(e) or below said p(e); or - at a given partial water vapor pressure p, the temperature is 10°C below dew point or vaporization point T(e), at said T(e) or above said T(e); (iii) dehydrating the hydrothermally treated non-pregelatinized granular starch to a moisture content of 2 wt% or lower and subjecting the starch to a thermal treatment by heating the starch to a temperature of 120 -190 °C, to obtain viscostability; (iv) cooling and optionally further processing the starch.