JAPANESE GLOSSARY

Flour & Starch

Fu

Gluten Cake

Made from dried wheat gluten, fu is a highly digestible spongy dough and is available in various forms, including fresh (nama fu) or roasted (yaki fu). Originating in China, fu has been produced in Japan for hundreds of years. It is used in a number of Japanese dishes such as miso and o-suimono soups and sukiyaki (a beef and vegetable dish). It has been recognised as a valuable source of protein in classic Japanese kaiseki ryori (formal cuisine) and shojin ryori (Buddhist vegetarian cuisine).

Katakuriko

Dogtooth Violet Starch

Taken from the dogtooth violet plant, katakuriko is a white powder without any taste or smell, used to thicken soups and sauces. Another way of utilising katakuriko is to mix it with spices and lightly sprinkle it over pieces of chicken or other ingredients before frying them. A very versatile foodstuff, katakuriko helps keep the nutrients and the taste of the ingredients in the food. Nowadays, potato starch or cornstarch are often used as a substitute for katakuriko, since natural dogtooth violet starch has become very expensive.

Komeko

Rice Starch

Finely powdered komeko helps ingredients retain their moisture and is used almost exclusively for Japanese sweets. The extremely fine joshinko is a pure-white rice powder made from uruchimai (regular Japonica white rice). The rice is washed with water and then milled with a roller. It is used for many kinds of Japanese sweets including dango (dumpling cake) and mochigashi (rice cake sweets). Shiratamako is made from milled mochi rice and can be used to make shiratama dango.

Panko

Breadcrumbs

Panko are bread crumbs used with batter to make deep-fried fritters. Fresh panko make the fritters lighter and softer than dried panko, as they contain more moisture which evaporates and forms small air holes when the panko are deep-fried. Lightly moistening dried panko just before cooking makes it more like fresh panko, and it should be applied evenly to the surface of the meat or fish being fried. To ensure freshness, dried panko should be stored in a dry, cool place.

Tempurako

Tempura Flour

Made from wheat flour, baking powder, powdered egg and other ingredients, tempura flour is made into a batter to produce the wonderfully crispy Japanese fritters known as tempura. Since it is difficult to make perfect tempura, it is easier to use a premix. Tempurako gives tempura its unique crispy texture and retains the flavour of the ingredients it coats such as prawns, aubergine and shiitake mushrooms. Although tempurako is made for tempura, it can also be used for o-konomiyaki (savoury pancakes) to add a lighter texture.