葛田楽 Kuzu dengaku

Arrowroot-Glazed Dengaku

Name: Arrowroot-Glazed Dengaku (Kuzu dengaku)
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 1 block (350 g) firm tofu; 2 tablespoons white miso; ½ teaspoon kuzu starch; 100 ml dashi

#35 通品 Familiar

Firm Tofu Dengaku Dashi Mirin Miso Kuzu

English Interpretation

Cut tofu into dengaku pieces, thread onto skewers, and grill. After coating with miso, pour over a mixture of kuzu dissolved in water. It becomes clear and glossy, and the flavor, too, is smooth.

原文 · Original (1782)

豆腐を田楽に切りて串に刺し、焼くべし。味噌を塗りたる上に、葛を水にて溶きたるものを掛けるべし。澄みて光るやうになりて、味も滑らかなり。

Transliteration

Tōfu wo dengaku ni kirite kushi ni sashi, yaku beshi. Miso wo nuritaru ue ni, kuzu wo mizu nite tokitaru mono wo kakeru beshi. Sumi te hikaru yau ni narite, aji mo nameraka nari.

Notes & Annotations

Kuzu (葛) is the starch extracted from the root of the kudzu plant (Pueraria lobata). It was the premier thickener in Edo-period cooking, valued for its translucent finish and smooth texture.

English Recipe

Ingredients

firm tofu 豆腐 1 block (350 g)

一丁
white miso 味噌 2 tablespoons

For dengaku
kuzu starch 葛粉 ½ teaspoon

For glaze
dashi 出汁 100 ml

For glaze

Method

Serves 2–3

1. Cut firm tofu into dengaku pieces and skewer.
2. Grill until lightly browned.
3. Prepare dengaku miso: 2 tablespoons white miso, 1 teaspoon mirin, ½ teaspoon sugar.
4. Spread the miso generously on one face of each piece.
5. Make a kuzu glaze: dissolve ½ teaspoon kuzu starch in 2 tablespoons cold water. Heat 100 ml dashi, add the kuzu slurry, and stir until translucent and glossy — about 1 minute.
6. Pour or brush the hot kuzu glaze over the miso-coated dengaku.

The kuzu creates a jewel-like, translucent coating over the miso. Smooth, glossy, and visually refined. The glaze also adds a silken mouthfeel.