We eat it with some kind of a sweet topping or a sauce in Japan. Kuzuomchi is in translucent white color and pretty bland itself. Kuzumochi is very light and has a jelly-like consistency. A popular dessert made of Kudzu is called “kuzumochi” although the texture is not like mochi made of rice. In Japan, it is commonly used in desserts. Kudzu is starchy and used as a thickener. It’s the root of a plant and the name comes from a plant name Kuzu in Japanese. Whether you decide to make the recipe as is or add your own bit of flair, this nutty, creamy dessert will put a little spring in your step too.Kudzu (葛) is becoming more popular in the States. I also tested her method with dairy milk to great success-you can also add different flavorings, like a splash of vanilla extract or a few drops of almond extract to really highlight the nutty flavor, a dash of cinnamon, or other toppings, like fresh strawberries, chocolate sauce, or warmed cherry preserves. Ikeda mentions that you can use any nondairy milk to keep this recipe vegan, but she favors the almond milk for the nuttiness that pairs so well with the blueberry sauce. Like Ikeda says, the texture is somewhat difficult to describe, but it’s also such a pleasure to experience. The final dessert is smooth and creamy like you’d expect from panna cotta, but with a slight spring and bounce. Do not sleep on the blueberry sauce-it adds a bit of tartness and deep berry flavor that pairs beautifully with the creamy almond custard. Ikeda includes a simple blueberry sauce recipe made with blueberries, lemon juice, and more agave syrup. Once the mixture reaches the consistency you'd expect of a finished pudding-if you draw a line with a spoon on the bottom of the pan, it should not immediately disappear-pour the mixture into a square container (or individual ramekins), cover, and let it cool to room temperature, then chill for at least an hour. Simply stir the ingredients together in a saucepan, cook over medium heat until the kuzu dissolves, lower the heat to a bare simmer and stir continuously until it thickens (I recommend firing up a podcast, or staring blankly into the middle distance for this part). As for kuzumochi, you only need four ingredients (and a pinch of salt) to make the panna cotta–like base: unsweetened almond milk, kuzu powder, and agave syrup. ![]() The kuzu texture had me hooked-I knew I had to try Ikeda’s recipe. While gomadofu is typically served as a savory dish, usually with flavored soy sauce or a sauce made with miso and sake, Ikeda decided to give it a sweet, nutty twist with almond milk. ![]() “Gomadofu is made from sesame milk which, in turn, is made out of ground sesame seeds and kuzu starch, to create a silky and delicate texture that is very similar to panna cotta,” she explains. Ikeda tells me that gomadofu (sesame tofu), a recipe from shojin ryori (Buddhist temple-style cooking), inspired her to develop this recipe. ![]() Almond milk, the main ingredient, has always been my favorite nondairy milk, so the recipe was an easy sell for me. That was my only experience with kuzu until I came across a recipe for a vegan, gelatin-free panna cotta–like dessert in Atsuko’s Japanese Kitchen by Atsuko Ikeda. ![]() Kuzumochi has a bit more bite and spring to it, resistant to the teeth at first, but slowly giving way as you bite down. The first time I had kuzumochi was a revelation-it was so different from its mochi flour cousins, which are tenderly chewy and slowly melt as you chew.
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