Yamato Province: Digging for Kudzu Roots and Kudzu Starch Production

Yamato Province: Digging for Kudzu Roots

Kudzu is a vine that grows naturally in fields and mountains. In spring, new buds emerge from old ones, with one stem bearing three leaves, and both leaves and stems are covered in hair. In autumn, spikes grow from between the leaves and flowers bloom. They resemble bean flowers and are purplish-red. Later, they form pods. The roots are light purple with white flesh. From winter until the buds sprout in spring, these roots are dug up with a pickaxe, washed of soil, pounded on a stone slab, and then kneaded in a tub filled with water.

Yamato Province: Kudzu Starch Production

Now, the extracted juice is put into a cloth bag and squeezed, then put into a cotton bag again to be strained. It is left to settle for a day, the water on top is discarded, the solid mass is dried, and the black residue at the bottom is scraped off. It is then clarified again, put into a tub and stirred, and as the sediment settles, the water on top is removed. This process is repeated several times, and after drying, it is placed in a bleaching box lined with ash and cloth and dried in the sun. This is called 'ash-kudzu'.

This ash-kudzu is washed and dried with water as before, seven or eight times, and after being placed in a bleaching box lined with thick paper and dried in the sun, it becomes kudzu starch.

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