Arrow-root Hon'kuzu Starch

The present chairman represents the 20th generation. Morino Yoshino Kuzu Honpo is located in the rural and historic town of Uda in the Nara prefecture. Here the winters are at their coldest. The local spring water, natural and pure, very rich in good minerals, is well-known in Japan. Since it was established, Morino Yoshino Kuzu Honpo has supplied the Imperial Palace, temples and, in their time, shoguns, feudal lords, and samurai families over the centuries. The company retains its commitment to produce top quality kuzu products in Japan. HON’ KUZU, perfectly white, is obtained from the kuzu or maranta root. The said root is harvested in the middle of winter, when it is very cold, because the nutrients and starches are in the roots. After it has been carefully softened as a result of repeated threshing, the roots are washed and soaked in very pure water. This operation is repeated ten times to remove the fibrous peel and the impurities of the starch from the perfect whiteness. It is then left to dry in the air for 60 days. From the harvest of the fresh root to this last stage the kuzu will have lost more than 85 % of its weight. The binding power and properties of kuzu set it apart, making it a very original ingredient in Japanese cuisine. The possibilities in western cuisine are many and varied, due to its taste, texture and the excellent sensation in the mouth.