Arrowroot, Kudzu and Agar Flakes

Tremendously Healthy Thickening Agents to use in your Cooking

Holiday cooking season is here and I use these three ingredients at this time of the year more often then any other time. Arrowroot, kudzu and agar flakes are all ingredients that will thicken you recipe, however they are used for different reason and for different types of thickening in a recipe. Plus the great thing about all three of these is their tremendous healing properties.

Pictured: Arrowroot, Kudzu and Agar Flakes

Do you know what Arrowroot, Kudzu or Agar Flakes are?

Let’s start with Arrowroot. It is a white powder made from the root of the rhizones of the maranfaceae family of plants. To purchase you can find it at health food stores and also regular grocery stores. Used for over 7,000 years for it medicinal properties it became popular in the 1930’s for use in baking. It is gluten free and can used in replacement for flour in recipes. For a thickening agent, arrowroot works best to make gravies, stews and to thicken pudding. You must dissolve the arrowroot powder in room temperature water before adding it to hot liquid.

Health Benefits of Arrowroot:

• Anti bacterial, anti inflammatory, anti microbial properties

• High fiber, promotes healthy digestion (this is what it best known for)

• May help with irritated bowel syndrome (I.B.S.)

• Promotes good circulation and boost metabolism

• High in potassium which means it helps to regulate blood sugar levels, lowers high blood pressure, reduce high cholesterol, improve kidney health

• High in folate (vitamin B 9), can help prevent birth defects

• Helps treat urinary tract infections

• High in magnesium, zinc, and iron

• May help treat various food borne pathogens such as salmonella

Kudzu is white chunks of the root of the plant, it is an interesting ingredient and an interesting plant. Originally from Japan, in the early 1900’s the people in the southern states thought it a good idea to plant kudzu at an ornamental because of it beautiful and fragrant flowers. Plus the leaves of the plants have a high protein content and it was used as cattle feed. However kudzu had a dark side once planted all over the south, it took over everything. The vines grow over everything, take over everything, cause millions of dollars worth of damage and is called ‘the weed of Dixie’. If only the southern state knew how medicinal kudzu is they would start harvesting it instead of attempting to kill it.

Many years back, I took a vacation down south and all through the Smoky Mountains you can see what looks like a blanket of green vines growing all over everything. I stopped at a road side stand that was selling Kudzu Jam, made from the flower and asked if they knew about the health benefits of the root. They said, no, they thought it was just a huge nuisance of a plant and wanted to get rid of it.

In cooking kudzu is used to thicken gravies, stews, and puddings. Kudzu will give you a more creamy texture then arrowroot. I use kudzu always for my pudding recipes because of this quality. Kudzu is more expensive then arrowroot, many times I use a combo of both of them to get the thickening properties and cut down on the cost. You must dissolve the kudzu chunks in room temperature water before adding it to any recipe. Also when wanting to purchase kudzu there are a couple different spellings; kuzu, kudzu, and it is not ‘wild arrowroot’ although can be labeled as that. The medicinal properties of kudzu have been know in Japan and China for thousands of year.

Health Benefits of Kudzu:

• Helps to alkalize your body

• Helps relive stiff neck, acute pain, sore muscles

• Helps with digestive disorders such as diarrhea and reduces gut inflammation

• Helps reduce high blood pressure and high cholesterol

• Contains bioflavonoids that help dilate blood vessels helping with migraine headaches

• Balances out being over acidic from consuming too many sweets

• Anti bacterial, anti inflammatory, high in antioxidents

• May help people with alcohol dependents, help them stop drinking

• Contains heart healthy isoflavones

• May help prevent your blood from clumping together, getting sticky, and developing dangerous blood clots

Agar flakes are different then arrowroot and kudzu in that they do not thicken the dish right away, you have to refrigerate your dish with agar flakes before the thickening action happens. That means agar flakes are not good to use to make gravy or stew. I use agar in some of my pudding recipes along with kudzu for two thickening agents. There is a traditional Japanese dessert called ‘Kanten’ that features agar flakes as the main ingredients. This Kanten dessert, when done, has the consistency of Jell-O, thanks to the agar flakes. I use agar flakes in many of my dessert recipes; Chocolate Truffles, Pumpkin Pie, Vanilla Pudding, and frosting. I have many delicous recipes using agar flakes, arrowroot and kudzu in my, Year Round Healthy Holiday Dishes Cookbook.

Agar flakes, agar agar flakes, kanten flakes, are all the same thing, just different names. You will find them at health food stores or Oriental stores. Agar flakes are freeze dried algae. Yes, that is right they are a sea vegetable! And you can not get any more nutrient dense, health food on the planet. That means every time you use agar flakes in your recipes you are creating an incredible health, mineral rich dish! I tell my students that when you make a dessert that has agar flakes as one of the ingredients, you are making the healthiest dessert possible! And I get excited about that!

Sweet Potato Pie with Pecan Caramel Sauce Cooking Class - Wed. Nov. 16

Sugar free - Vegan - Oil free - Organic - All three ingredients in the class

Health Benefits of Agar Flakes:

• Sea Vegetable: high in mineral, trace minerals, Vitamin A, C, D, E, B complex, K, protein, iron, calcium, prosperous

• Excellent source of iodine

• Soothing to the intestinal tract, helps with constipation

• Bonds with toxic metals and radiation pollutants to gently assist the body discharging them

• Helps reduce high cholesterol, it absorbs bile and takes extra cholesterol also and dissolves it

• Used in traditional medicine to help treat jaundice in babies, it reduces bilirubin levels in infants by absorbing bile

• Helps bring traction into joints, improving joint recovery after injuries

Which one have you used in your cooking? Arrowroot? Kudzu? Agar flakes?

Chef Val’s Whole and Healthy Cooking Channel Patreon Group

Enjoy unlimited access to Chef Val’s best cooking video recipes for the holidays. Millet Mashed Mock Potatoes, Mushroom Gravy, Parsnips Squash and Carrots in a Sweet Sauce, Fruit Kanten Dessert, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Sweet Potato Brownies with Aduki Bean Fudge Frosting. A great way for you to learn about healthy, whole foods cooking with step by step videos with all the health benefits taught also. Please join the Patreon Group.

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Have great day and get in the kitchen and COOK!