Kudzu Root Starch 葛根粉
Kudzu Root Starch is featured among the local specialties of Hunan.
Kudzu Root Starch (葛根粉) is made in Sangzhi (桑植), Zhangjiajie (张家界), by extracting and settling starch from mature kudzu roots. Zhangjiajie Daily writer Xie Decai (谢德才) describes both the Jiutian (九天) local product and its preparation as a smooth, translucent paste.
How it is made
The roots are peeled, cut into pieces and finely ground with water. The liquid passes through coarse gauze into a vat, where the starch settles over several days. The upper water is poured away, exposing milky-white starch at the bottom.
The damp starch is gathered into gauze and hung to drain and air-dry. After several more days, it is cut into smaller pieces and portioned for packing.
How it is eaten
To prepare a bowl, the starch is first stirred with a little cold water until dispersed. Freshly boiled water is then added while stirring until the mixture becomes a transparent paste. Honey, brown sugar or goji berries can be added to taste. Xie describes a sticky consistency that slides down smoothly.
Sources & reading
Written from the linked sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer on 2026-09-27. Recipes and servings vary between kitchens.