wheat starch(NAMAFU)
It is made by adding water to wheat flour and kneading it, then combining the gluten, the protein left after the starch is washed away with water, with glutinous flour and boiling or steaming it. The buns are then filled with a sweet bean paste called fu manju (see photo).
It is said that fu was introduced from China at the end of the Kamakura period (1185-1333) and used in vegetarian cooking, and became a valuable source of protein for Zen monks at that time, who were forbidden to eat meat. Later, it came to be used as a soup ingredient in kaiseki dishes served at tea ceremonies. Even today, it is used in stewed dishes or grilled and served with miso paste.
