Kuzu Mochi Arrowroot Starch Dessert

Japan (Yoshino Nara as hon-kuzu origin; Kansai tradition of kuzu-based wagashi; summer cooling dessert tradition)

Kuzu mochi (くず餅) — not to be confused with Tokyo's kuzumochi (which is a completely different fermented wheat starch product) — is a clear, translucent wagashi made from kuzu (kudzu root starch) cooked in water with sugar until it sets into a cool, jiggly, gelatinous mass. Kansai kuzu mochi (also called warabi mochi in many contexts, though true warabi uses fern starch) is produced primarily from kuzu starch — a fine white powder extracted from the roots of the kudzu vine (Pueraria montana var. lobata). The starch dissolves in water, is mixed with sugar, then cooked while stirring until the mixture becomes clear and thick — a transformation from white cloudy liquid to transparent, shimmering gel that signals proper cooking. Set in moulds or poured flat then cut into squares or cubes, kuzu mochi is served with kinako (roasted soybean flour) and kuromitsu (Okinawan black sugar syrup) as accompaniments — the earthiness of kinako and the molasses-depth of kuromitsu complementing the cool, almost tasteless, texturally fascinating mochi. Real kuzu starch from Yoshino in Nara (hon-kuzu, yoshino kuzu) commands extraordinary prices as one of Japan's most prized natural starches.

Almost tasteless cool jiggly mochi; the interest is entirely textural — the slight resistance, the cool temperature, the clear shimmer; kinako and kuromitsu provide all the flavour