The TodoFam and food: Kuzumochi (葛餅), Enji’s favorite food
Thanks to Enji’s profile in Chap. 37 we know that Enji’s favorite food is kuzumochi.
But what is kuzumochi? With which ingredients is it done? And how do you prepare it?
Kuzumochi (葛餅): a transparent, pulpy ‘mochi’ (もち or 餅) made of ‘kuzu-ko’ (葛粉), which is the flour derived from the root of the ‘kuzu’ (クズ). It is usually served chilled (which increases its elasticity), cut in bite-size slices which are topped with ‘kuromitsu’ (黒蜜 “black honey”) first and then ‘kina-ko’ (黄粉 or きなこ “yellow flour”), otherwise they won’t mix and eat either with ‘hashi’ (箸 “chopsticks”) or a ‘yōji’ (楊枝 “toothpick”) while served in a ‘kozara’ (小皿 “small plate”), while a ‘mamezara’(豆皿 “tiny plate”) can be used for serving the topping.. If eaten freshly made while it’s slightly warm inside, one can enjoy its chewy and fluffy texture. The usual preparation consists in combining the flour with water and sugar, and cooking it over a gentle heat, stirring continuously until the mixture thickens and becomes transparent. This process also imparts it an elastic texture. The transparent appearance of the final product contributes to a cool sensation, making it a popular choice for consumption during warmer months.
Japan has however another sweet with the same name but written with different kanji (久寿餅) which is a mochi cake made from Lactobacillales-fermented ‘komugi-ko’ (小麦粉 “wheat flour”), and is not transparent but more like milky white. It is specialty dish local to certain wards of Tokyo.
Mochi (もち or 餅): a Japanese rice cake made with ‘mochigome’ (もち米 “mochi rice” or “glutinous rice”) or ‘mochigome-ko’ (餅米粉 “mochi rice flour”) a type of fine flour made from ‘mochigome’ (もち米 “mochi rice” or “glutinous rice”), and sometimes other ingredients such as water, sugar, and ‘cornstarch’ (コーンスターチ “corn/maize flour”). There are two main types of mochi: ‘tsukimochi’ (搗き餅), which is made by steaming ‘mochigome’ (もち米 “mochi rice” or “glutinous rice”) and pounding it with a mallet into a paste, and ‘nerimochi’ (練り餅), which is made by adding hot water to ‘mochigome-ko’ (餅粉 “mochi flour”) a type of fine flour made from ‘mochigome’ (もち米 “mochi rice” or “glutinous rice”) and kneading it, then steaming it to create a paste. Either way the result is then molded into the desired shape. The shape of mochi varies depending on the region, so it can be round (west Japan) or square (east Japan). There are also various variants that slightly change the ingredients with which its done. In Japan, it is traditionally made in a ceremony called ‘mochitsuki’ (餅搗き “mochi pounding”). While eaten year-round, mochi is a traditional food for the Japanese New Year, and is commonly sold and eaten during that time.
INGREDIENTS
Kuzu-ko (葛粉 “kudzu flour”): flour derived from the ‘kuzu no ne’ (クズの根), the root of the ‘kuzu’ (クズ), a group of climbing, coiling, and trailing deciduous perennial vines native to much of East Asia better known as Kudzu or Japanese arrowroot. It’s worth to mention most products sold under this name are actually mixed with flour from other sources.
Kuromitsu (黒蜜 “black honey”): a Japanese sugar syrup, similar to molasses, but thinner and milder and is a central ingredient in many Japanese sweets, among which ‘kuzumochi’ (葛餅).
Kina-ko (黄粉 or きなこ “yellow flour”): roasted soybean flour, used in Japanese cuisine, better known in English speaking countries as “roasted soy flour”. It is mostly used as a topping to flavor rice cakes like ‘mochi’ (もち or 餅).
Komugi-ko (小麦粉 “wheat flour”): flour made by milling ‘komugi’ (コムギ “wheat”) and is used as an ingredient in various foods. In Japan is also called ‘udon-ko’ (うどん粉 “udon flour”), as it’s the flour used to make udon or ‘MERIKEN-ko’ (メリケン粉 “American flour”).
Mochigome (もち米 “mochi rice” or “glutinous rice”): a type of rice (Oryza sativa var. glutinosa) grown mainly in Southeast Asia and the northeastern regions of South Asia, which has opaque grains and very low amylose content and is especially sticky when cooked. It is widely consumed across Asia. It is called glutinous (Latin: glūtinōsus)in the sense of being glue-like or sticky, and not in the sense of containing gluten (which, like all rice, it does not).
Mochigome-ko (餅米粉 or もち米粉 “mochi rice flour”): a type of fine flour made from ‘mochigome’ (もち米 “glutinous rice”) that is used primarily to make ‘mochi’ (もち).
Cornstarch (コーンスターチ “corn/maize flour”): the starch powder derived from ‘tōmorokoshi’ (トウモロコシ “corn/maize”) grain. The starch is obtained from the endosperm of the kernel. Corn starch is a common food ingredient, often used to thicken sauces or soups, and to make corn syrup and other sugars.
TABLEWARE
Hashi (箸 “chopsticks”): The Japanese version is slightly shorter than the Chinese one, and it’s also typically rounded and taper to a point. This may be attributed to the fact that the Japanese diet consists of large amounts of whole bony fish and the pointed ends make it easier to remove small bones from the fish. In Japan it is common for them to be shorter for women and children. Also usually, in Japan they have circumferential grooves at the eating end that makes food stop slipping.
Hashi-oki (はしおき “chopstick rest”): Tableware, similar to a knife rest or a spoon rest, used to keep chopstick tips off the table and to prevent used ‘hashi’ (箸 “chopsticks”) from contaminating or rolling off tables. They are found more commonly in restaurants than in homes where they are usually used only at formal dinners. They are placed on the front-left side of the dishes, with the ‘hashi’ parallel to the table edge and the points toward the left, or to the right side of the dishes, with the ‘hashi’ points towards to the front.
Yōji (楊枝 “toothpick” lit. “willow branch”): a small thin stick with at least one and sometimes two pointed ends. When it’s used to insert it between teeth to remove detritus, usually after a meal, it’s called ‘tsuma yōji’ (爪楊枝 lit. “nail toothpick”) and it usually has one tip and a decoration on the opposite side of the tip called kokeshi (こけし), however Japan also has ‘kuromoji yōji’ (黒文字楊枝 “kuromoji toothpick”), toothpicks which comes from the kuromoji tree, which is part of the Lauraceae family and is known for its antiviral properties and which are used for eating wagashi and mochi during the tea ceremony, so that a person can use it to cut the sweet and then bring it to his mouth. In this case, rather than the usual round toothpicks, a large square toothpick with bark attached is often used. When the toothpick is hand carved by a craftsman instead than by a machine, they’re called ‘jokaku yōji’ (上角楊枝 “Top-angled toothpick”), they are thinner than machine-cut toothpicks and don't break when bent. Each of them is individually wrapped in Japanese paper and sold in a box made from paulownia wood.
Kozara (小皿 “small plate”): a small plate of around 12~15cm used to hold sauce dishes, condiment dishes, small side dishes, sweets, etc. They can be round, square, oval, and flower-shaped, made in ceramic, glass, resin, wood, or metal, with a wide variety of designs, making them a versatile item that can be used for a wide range of purposes. Using a small plate with a Japanese-style pattern to serve a sweet creates an atmosphere of hospitality.
Mamezara (豆皿 “tiny plate” lit. “bean plate”): a small plate of less than 10cm in diameter that can basically fit the palm of your hand, used to hold sauce dishes, condiment dishes, small side dishes, sweets, etc. They can be round, square, oval, and flower-shaped, made in ceramic, glass, resin, wood, or metal, with a wide variety of designs, making them a versatile item that can be used for serving sauces, condiments, small side dishes, individual portions of snacks (like nuts or sweets) or palate cleansers (like refreshing bites of fruit or scallions to cleanse the palate between courses).