Kinako (黄粉 or きなこ "yellow flour") is roasted soybean flour, used in Japanese cuisine.[1] In English, it is usually called "roasted soy flour". Kinako is mostly used as a topping to flavor rice cakes like mochi.[2]

Kinako
Kinako, or roasted soybean flour
Place of originJapan
Main ingredientsSoybeans

History

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Kurumimochi (rice cake) covered in kinako

Usage of the word kinako appeared in Japanese cookbooks from the late Muromachi period (1336–1573).[3]

An early record of the word comes from the text Sōtan Chakai Kondate Nikki (Sōtan's Tea Ceremony Cookery Menu Diary), written in 1587 by Sen no Sōtan, a tea ceremony master.[4]

Production

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Dango (rice flour dumplings) covered in kinako

Kinako is produced by finely grinding roasted soybeans into powder.[3][5] The skin of the soybean is typically removed before pulverizing the beans, but some varieties of kinako retain the roasted skin.[5] Yellow soybeans produce a yellow kinako, and green soybeans produce a light-green product.[5]

Usage

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Kinako is widely used in Japanese cooking, but is strongly associated with dango and wagashi. Dango, dumplings made from mochiko (rice flour), are commonly coated with kinako.[6] Examples include ohagi and Abekawa-mochi. Kinako, when combined with milk or soy milk, can also be made into a drink. One example of its use in popular foods is warabimochi, which is a famous kinako-covered sweet.

Nutrition

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Being composed of soybeans, kinako is a nutritious topping and source of flavor, containing B vitamins and protein.[5] Compared to boiled soybeans, however, the protein in kinako is not easily digested.[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Kinako" [Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary]. Puroguresshibu Waei Chūjiten [プログレッシブ和英中辞典]. Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. Archived from the original on 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2012-06-26.
  2. ^ Ishige, Naomichi (2011). History Of Japanese Food. Routledge. p. 257. ISBN 9781136602559.
  3. ^ a b "Kinako". Nihon Kokugo Daijiten (日本国語大辞典) (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. Archived from the original on 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2012-05-26.
  4. ^ Clarkson, Janet (2014). Food History Almanac: Over 1,300 Years of World Culinary History, Culture, and Social Influence. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 585. ISBN 9781442227149.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Kinako". Nihon Daihyakka Zensho (Nipponika) (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. Archived from the original on 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2012-05-26.
  6. ^ Wagashi, traditional Japanese confections, also make extensive use of a mixture of kinako and sugar."Kinako". Dijitaru daijisen (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. Archived from the original on 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2012-05-26.
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