片栗(かたくり)

かたくり
noun
dogtooth violet; katakuri (Erythronium japonicum)
naturefoodcooking
1. dogtooth violet; katakuri (Erythronium japonicum)
a spring-blooming wildflower native to Japan with distinctive purple-pink drooping petals
春(はる)になると片栗(かたくり)の花(はな)が咲(さ)く。
Katakuri flowers bloom in spring.
山(やま)に片栗(かたくり)の群生地(ぐんせいち)を見(み)に行(い)った。
I went to see a colony of dogtooth violets in the mountains.
片栗(かたくり)の花(はな)は下(した)を向(む)いて咲(さ)くのが特徴(とくちょう)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a fine starch used as a thickening agent in cooking, originally made from the katakuri plant but now typically made from potatoes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(かたくり)でとろみをつける。
I'll thicken it with katakuri starch.
片栗(かたくり)を水(みず)で溶(と)いてからスープに加(くわ)える。
Dissolve the starch in water before adding it to the soup.
唐揚(からあ)げを作(つく)るときに、片栗(かたくり)をまぶすとカリッと仕上(しあ)がる。
When making karaage, coating the pieces in katakuri starch gives them a crispy finish.

The word 片栗(かたくり) 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(かたくりこ) (katakuri starch) is made almost entirely from potatoes, but retains the traditional name.

Common collocations

Similar words

  • コーンスターチ: cornstarch — another thickening agent; lighter and produces a more translucent result
  • 小麦粉(こむぎこ): wheat flour — used for coating and thickening, but heavier than starch
  • 葛粉(くずこ): kuzu starch — a premium traditional starch from the kuzu plant, used in wagashi and fine cooking

Related Words

Compare: 小麦粉(こむぎこ) (wheat flour)
general
Added 2026.4.22 22:22 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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