Instructions: I use Kudzu to thicken glazes, sauces, gravies, soups and stews, but I rarely use agar-agar without kudzu. Made from the kudzu plant, which is native to Japan, judzu is a chalklike powder with medicinal qualities. A kudzu drink, for instance, is a traditional Japanese remedy for treating an upset stomach.

In cooking, kudzu must be completely dissolved in a small amount of water and ten added to the liquid being thickened. Be sure that all the lumps are dissolved in the cold water; once the kudzu is heated, it is virtually impossible to get rid of them. The dissolved kudzu works best if you d it to the liquid when its heated to just below a simmer. When first added, the kudzu rums the liquid a chalky white, but the color dissipates after a minute or so. The longer you cook the kudzu, the thicker the mixture will become,

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