🍡 Kuzumochi
"Kuzumochi" is a transparent, pulpy mochi made from kudzu powder. Kudzu, the raw material of kudzu powder, is a perennial plant of the legume family and is widely distributed throughout Japan from Hokkaido in the north to Kyushu in the south. The name Kudzu is said to have come from the Kuzubito, a mountain people who lived in the Yoshino region of Nara Prefecture, who made kudzu powder from kudzu and sold it. "Kudzu powder" is a natural product that has been repeatedly purified with only groundwater in the middle of winter and dried for 2~3 months, and does not contain any additives. In this way, kudzu powder made of 100% kudzu starch is called "Yoshino honkudzu". In addition, the method of exposing it to cold water many times during the harsh winter is called the Yoshino Zarashi method and is a traditional manufacturing method that has continued since the Edo period. The cold and high-quality water of the Yoshino region of Nara Prefecture produces high-quality kudzu powder. In addition to kuzumochi, kudzu powder is widely used in other dishes and sweets, such as sesame tofu, kuzuyu, kuzu bun, kuzu noodles, and as a thickening agent.