1.
kudzu vine (Pueraria montana); the plant itself
A vigorous climbing vine native to East Asia. One of the 秋の七草 (seven autumn flowers) in Japan; the root is harvested for food and medicine.
葛の花が咲いている。
The kudzu vines are in flower.
葛は秋の七草の一つだ。
Kudzu is one of the seven flowers of autumn.
裏の山には葛が一面に広がっている。
Kudzu has spread across the entire mountain behind us.
2.
kudzu starch; kudzu flour
A fine white starch made from the root of the kudzu plant. Used in traditional Japanese sweets and to thicken sauces. Sometimes labeled in English as "kuzu".
葛でとろみをつけた。
I thickened it with kudzu starch.
本葛は高級な和菓子に使われる。
Pure kudzu starch is used in high-end Japanese sweets.
葛を水で溶いて、熱いだしに加えるとなめらかなあんになる。
Dissolve kudzu in water and add it to hot dashi to make a smooth thickened sauce.
Do not confuse with 屑 (scrap, trash, worthless person), which is a homophone written with a different kanji. The two have nothing to do with each other semantically.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 葛の根: kudzu root
- 本葛: pure kudzu starch (high grade)
- 葛粉: kudzu powder
- 葛湯: hot kudzu drink (sweetened thickened starch)
- 葛餅: kudzu starch mochi (traditional sweet)
CULTURAL CONTEXT:
Kudzu is one of the 秋の七草 (seven autumn flowers) celebrated in classical Japanese poetry. The starch made from its root has been valued in cuisine and traditional medicine for centuries.