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Kuzuyu (hot kudzu drink)
葛湯: kudzu starch cooked in hot water with sugar and fresh ginger until clear and glossy, a soothing spoon-thick drink for cold nights
Kuzuyu is what Japanese mothers make when someone has a chill or an upset stomach, and what many people sip on a frosty winter evening, especially in Nara, whose Yoshino mountains have produced the finest hon-kuzu starch for centuries. Kudzu root starch is stirred into water with a little sugar and cooked until the milky liquid suddenly turns clear, glossy and gently thick, somewhere between a hot drink and a soft pudding you drink from the cup. Grated ginger warms it; some families add a spoon of matcha or a squeeze of yuzu. It tastes clean, mildly sweet and comforting, and it is traditionally given to people recovering from colds. The mistake almost everyone makes once is sprinkling kudzu into hot water, where it forms rubbery lumps at once. Always crush it and dissolve it completely in cold water first, then heat it while stirring without stopping. It is ready when there are no white streaks left, the drink is translucent and it coats the back of a spoon. Chef's tip: real hon-kuzu comes in chalky lumps; crush them with the back of a spoon in the cold water and they dissolve in seconds.
- Total time
- 8 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 1
Ingredients
For the drink
- ⅓ oz kudzu starch (hon-kuzu)about 1 heaped tbsp; arrowroot works, potato starch sets less silky
- ¾ cup cold water
- 1 tbsp sugaror wasanbon; about 15 g
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Put ⅓ oz kudzu starch (hon-kuzu) in a small pan, crush any lumps with the back of a spoon and pour in ¾ cup cold water. Stir until fully dissolved and milky white, with nothing left on the bottom.
2 minStep 2: Stir in 1 tbsp sugar until it dissolves.
1 minStep 3: Set the pan over low-medium heat and stir constantly with a spoon or small whisk. After 2–3 minutes it suddenly thickens and turns from milky to translucent; keep stirring for 30 seconds more, until glossy and it coats the spoon.
4 minStep 4: Take off the heat, stir in 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated, pour into a cup and drink hot with a spoon.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 95 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kuzuyu (hot kudzu drink) take?
- About 8 minutes in total: 3 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 1 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger, finely grated?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
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