Kuzu 屑粉

Referred to sometimes as “East Asian arrowroot”, kuzu is a starch made from the root of the kudzu vine, Pueraria montana var. lobata. It is used as a thickener in sauces, particularly ankake. Although it is possible to substitute kuzu with cornflour or cornstarch, kuzu gives the food a higher glossy sheen, in which case, arrowroot is a better substitute than cornstarch.