1.
dogtooth violet; katakuri (Erythronium japonicum)
a spring-blooming wildflower native to Japan with distinctive purple-pink drooping petals
春になると片栗の花が咲く。
Katakuri flowers bloom in spring.
山に片栗の群生地を見に行った。
I went to see a colony of dogtooth violets in the mountains.
片栗の花は下を向いて咲くのが特徴だ。
A distinctive feature of katakuri flowers is that they bloom facing downward.
2.
katakuri starch; potato starch
a fine starch used as a thickening agent in cooking, originally made from the katakuri plant but now typically made from potatoes
片栗でとろみをつける。
I'll thicken it with katakuri starch.
片栗を水で溶いてからスープに加える。
Dissolve the starch in water before adding it to the soup.
唐揚げを作るときに、片栗をまぶすとカリッと仕上がる。
When making karaage, coating the pieces in katakuri starch gives them a crispy finish.
The word 片栗 has two related meanings. Originally it referred solely to the dogtooth violet plant, from whose bulbs a high-quality starch was extracted. Today, commercially available 片栗粉 (katakuri starch) is made almost entirely from potatoes, but retains the traditional name.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 片栗粉: katakuri starch / potato starch (the cooking ingredient)
- 片栗の花: katakuri flower
- 片栗でとろみをつける: to thicken with starch
- 片栗をまぶす: to coat with starch
SIMILAR WORDS:
- コーンスターチ: cornstarch — another thickening agent; lighter and produces a more translucent result
- 小麦粉: wheat flour — used for coating and thickening, but heavier than starch
- 葛粉: kuzu starch — a premium traditional starch from the kuzu plant, used in wagashi and fine cooking