🍡 Nmu-kuji Puttu-ru (Sweet Potato starch cake)

"Nmu-kuji Puttu-ru" is made by dissolving "Nmu-kuji" (=sweet potato starch) in water and stir-frying to a paste. "Puttu-ru" refers to the starchy, sticky glue-like texture. The word "Nmu" means "sweet potato," and it was first brought back from China in 1605 by “Noguni Soukan“（= the governor of Noguni, Kadena-cho in Okinawa）. This led to the cultivation of sweet potatoes, which were used as relief food to alleviate the suffering of starvation. With the availability of sweet potato starch, "Nmu-kuji" became a staple in households. From this "Nmu-kuji", the dish "Nmu-kuji Puttu-ru" was born. It was eaten as a snack with sugar and as a side dish with chives. Other dishes using "Nmu-kuji" are also known, such as "Nmu-kuji Andagi," which is fried with cooked and mashed "Nmu," or "Kuji-muchi” (“Kuzu-mochi”, sweet potato starch cake). "Nmu-kuji" has been used since the dynastic period, and "Kuji-muchi," now a common confectionery for the public, is a true dynastic confectionery.