In common with many of Clearspring’s Japanese speciality foods, the story behind the production of Organic Kuzu is a quite remarkable one, which tells of age-old techniques and craftsmanship in an age of manufactured mass production.
The kuzu, latin name Pueraria lobata, is a vine found in many parts of Japan, which has long been used as a food and, in the case of the fibrous stems, as thread used in clothes and other products. It’s the root, however that is used to make Clearspring’s gluten free starch thickener, and indeed is one of the plant’s most striking features. One of the largest vegetable roots in the world, the average weight of each is around 90kg.
The 120 day long, painstaking process of creating the brilliantly white kuzu powder begins when these gargantuan roots are dug out of the ground by hand, during the period from December to early spring when starch levels are at their greatest. Clearspring’s Kuzu is produced by the Hirohachido Company, based in Kyushu at the Southern end of Japan, who still make it using age old and entirely natural techniques.
Once recovered, the roots are cleaned, chopped, mashed and washed several times in cold water. Fortunately, the Hirohachido factory has access to plentiful supplies of clean, fresh water, which is essential to the production process. At this stage the kuzu takes the form of a grey paste, which is repeatedly washed and filtered through silk screens to remove fibres and tannins. Next, the paste is redissolved and filtered several times, until a pure white starch is achieved.
Next comes the drying process, where the starch is cut into 15cm thick blocks and left to dry in boxes for up to sixty days. In order that the finished kuzu is pure white and colour and has optimum gelling properties it must be dried in low humidity, out of direct sunshine and in ambient temperatures. Once dried, the kuzu blocks are crumbled, and finally packaged.
This Herculean effort is worth it, however, as the result is one of the most effective natural gelling agents in the world, which can be used in a wide variety of cooking. Not only does it have practical use, however. Kuzu is said to offer a number of health benefits, such as relieving digestive discomfort and even helping to reduce blood pressure. Kuzu is often cited as an effective hangover cure, due to the presence of flavanoids that can dilate constricted blood vessels.
Try the power of kuzu for yourself with our Kuzu Fruit Custard [1] [1] recipe.
Reference: Culinary Treasures of Japan by John & Jan Belleme
The kuzu, latin name Pueraria lobata, is a vine found in many parts of Japan, which has long been used as a food and, in the case of the fibrous stems, as thread used in clothes and other products. It’s the root, however that is used to make Clearspring’s gluten free starch thickener, and indeed is one of the plant’s most striking features. One of the largest vegetable roots in the world, the average weight of each is around 90kg.
The 120 day long, painstaking process of creating the brilliantly white kuzu powder begins when these gargantuan roots are dug out of the ground by hand, during the period from December to early spring when starch levels are at their greatest. Clearspring’s Kuzu is produced by the Hirohachido Company, based in Kyushu at the Southern end of Japan, who still make it using age old and entirely natural techniques.
Once recovered, the roots are cleaned, chopped, mashed and washed several times in cold water. Fortunately, the Hirohachido factory has access to plentiful supplies of clean, fresh water, which is essential to the production process. At this stage the kuzu takes the form of a grey paste, which is repeatedly washed and filtered through silk screens to remove fibres and tannins. Next, the paste is redissolved and filtered several times, until a pure white starch is achieved.
Next comes the drying process, where the starch is cut into 15cm thick blocks and left to dry in boxes for up to sixty days. In order that the finished kuzu is pure white and colour and has optimum gelling properties it must be dried in low humidity, out of direct sunshine and in ambient temperatures. Once dried, the kuzu blocks are crumbled, and finally packaged.
This Herculean effort is worth it, however, as the result is one of the most effective natural gelling agents in the world, which can be used in a wide variety of cooking. Not only does it have practical use, however. Kuzu is said to offer a number of health benefits, such as relieving digestive discomfort and even helping to reduce blood pressure. Kuzu is often cited as an effective hangover cure, due to the presence of flavanoids that can dilate constricted blood vessels.
Try the power of kuzu for yourself with our Kuzu Fruit Custard [1] [1] recipe.
Reference: Culinary Treasures of Japan by John & Jan Belleme