葛(くず)

くず
noun
kudzu; kudzu vine; kudzu starch
plant-generalfood
1. kudzu vine (Pueraria montana); the plant itself
A vigorous climbing vine native to East Asia. One of the 秋(あき)の七草(ななくさ) (seven autumn flowers) in Japan; the root is harvested for food and medicine.
葛(くず)の花(はな)が咲(さ)いている。
The kudzu vines are in flower.
葛(くず)は秋(あき)の七草(ななくさ)の一(ひと)つだ。
Kudzu is one of the seven flowers of autumn.
裏(うら)の山(やま)には葛(くず)が一面(いちめん)に広(ひろ)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(くず)でとろみをつけた。
I thickened it with kudzu starch.
本(ほん)葛(くず)は高級(こうきゅう)な和菓子(わがし)に使(つか)われる。
Pure kudzu starch is used in high-end Japanese sweets.
葛(くず)を水(みず)で溶(と)いて、熱(あつ)いだしに加(くわ)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(くず) (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(くず)の根(ね): kudzu root
  • 本(ほん)葛(くず): pure kudzu starch (high grade)
  • 葛(くず)粉(こ): kudzu powder
  • 葛(くず)湯(ゆ): hot kudzu drink (sweetened thickened starch)
  • 葛(くず)餅(もち): kudzu starch mochi (traditional sweet)

Cultural note

Kudzu is one of the 秋(あき)の七草(ななくさ) (seven autumn flowers) celebrated in classical Japanese poetry. The starch made from its root has been valued in cuisine and traditional medicine for centuries.

Related Words

Compare: くず粉(こ) (arrowroot starch)
general
Added 2026.6.4 11:08 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
28500/28689_kuzu