🍜 Yoshino Honkuzu Tengokudo Nara Main Store吉野本葛 天極堂 奈良本店

Yoshino Honkuzu Tengokudo opened in 1870 and is a directly operated store of "Inoue Tengokudo," which produces Yoshino Honkuzu in the old Kuzumura of Gose City, Nara Prefecture. Located in a specialty store at the ruins of the Nandaimon Gate of Todai-ji, famous for its Great Buddha, visitors can enjoy dishes and desserts made with "kuzu." Kuzu is a perennial vine of the legume family and is also one of the seven herbs of spring. The starch extracted from the kuzu root is called kuzu powder, which is used in Japanese sweets or to thicken dishes. From 1 kg of kuzu root, only about 100 g of kuzu powder can be obtained, making it a very precious ingredient. 100% kuzu powder is referred to as honkuzu, while the 100% kuzu powder produced in Nara is called "Yoshino Honkuzu." It is worth mentioning that the so-called "Yoshino Kuzu" is made by mixing kuzu powder with sweet potatoes, which is different from the ingredients of "Yoshino Honkuzu." The Nara main store of Tengokudo uses the "Yoshino Sarashi" method, which has been adhered to since its founding, to refine Yoshino Honkuzu. The smooth texture of kuzu mochi is irresistible, and the soft and elastic kuzu noodles are made on-site. Various dishes such as sesame tofu made with the elasticity of Yoshino kuzu and healthy kuzu porridge are available for tasting. If you want to indulge in kuzu dishes, it is recommended to try the "Kudzu Full Enjoyment Set," which includes kuzu noodles and lily bulb buns (reservation required). The store also has a shop where you can purchase Yoshino Honkuzu to challenge yourself to make kuzu dishes at home. When used to increase the thickness of food, it is smoother than katakuriko, so it's worth a try. By the way, there are also recipe shares available on the official website for reference.

The directly operated store of "Inoue Tengyokudo," a long-established shop with over 150 years of history specializing in Yoshino honkuzu. Here, you can enjoy various dishes made with 100% kudzu powder, including freshly made kudzu noodles and kudzu cakes. The attached shop sells products made with "Yoshino honkuzu." Located near the ruins of the West Gate of Todai-ji, it is also very convenient to visit while sightseeing.