葛

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 葛 is read as くず and is a noun for kudzu, a climbing plant whose root can provide starch.
• Basic usage: Vines by a mountain path appear in 葛のつる, while extracted starch appears in 葛から取ったでんぷん.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Plant and food ingredient
  • The word names the climbing plant, while its root is also associated with starch used in sweets and cooking.
• Difference from 葛粉
  • Unlike this word for the plant itself, the comparison term denotes the starch powder product made from its root.