Kuzumochi (kuzu, kuzukiri, kuzuko,kuzuyu…)

Kuzumochi avec de la poudre de caroube.
(kuzumochi with carob powder).

Kuzumochi is very close to warabimochi (click here) made with bracken. The “warabi” ingredient is cheap, so it is more commonly sold. Kuzu is a great product, but it is costly, even in Japan where it is produced.

葛餅 Kuzumochi :

40 g of kuzuko, 150 ml of water, 5 g of sugar

Recette de base :
Mélanger les ingrédients dans une casserole. Porter a ébullition en remuant avec une cuiller en bois. Quand tout est devenu translucide, rincer un recipient et y transférer le mélange.
Quand c’est un peu refroidit, couper des cubes ou tailler des billes a la cuiller. Servir avec de la kinako (farine de soja grillé) et du sucre.

Standard recipe : mix the ingredient in a sauce pan. Bring to boil while stirring with a wooden spoon. When it all becomes slightly transparent, rinse a container with cold water and poor the paste in it.
When it’s a little cooled, you can cut bits with a spoon like here and throw them in a cup of very cold water. Drain and serve with a cup of kinako+sugar to dip the kuzumochi in it. (kinako is a powder of roasted soy beans)

You can shape your kuzumochi in round tea cups and put a ball of anko (bean jam) in the middle. This is also called mizumanju.

Variations are made with the same recipe :

葛切り Kuzukiri :
(kuzu noodles)
40 g of kuzuko, 120 ml of water
The paste is spread on a flat layer, and then cut in long noddles, Or it is extruded with a noddle cutting gadget and dropped into cold water. These noodles can be served with either kuromitsu (a syrup made from kurazato black sugar), or a vinegared soy sauce.

葛湯 Kuzuyu :
(kuzu hot water)
40 g of kuzuko, 200 ml of water, 10 g of sugar
It is served hot and liquid. Like here :
ginger kuzuyu
Rem : If you let a leftover of kuzuyu cool a few hours, it will thicken into kuzumochi.

(kuzuko, here kuzu + sweet potato)

Shopping :
Kudzu 葛 Kuzu : a Japanese plant, close to arrow-root. Starch is made from its root.

本葛 Honkuzu (yamakuzu, etc) : pure kuzu starch powder
葛粉 Kuzuko : starch powder that may be 100% kuzu or a mix of kuzu and other starches (potato, sweet potato, corn).

For the Japanese sweet recipes and to thicken your sauces, you can use any type (kuzuko, honkuzu…). The color and transparency will vary slightly.
The pure ones being more expensive, many cook with the “mixed” kuzuko. Some people use kuzu for its medicinal property and they want the pure product.

You can buy them in most supermarkets in Japan. Abroad, Asian grocers and some health ingredient stores (macrobiotic, etc) may sell them.

Pour les Français, il existe cette boutique en ligne. Je ne les connais pas. Ils ont beaucoup d’ingrédients de base japonais.