''Kinako'' ( or ) is roasted
soybean flour, a product commonly used in
Japanese cuisine
Japanese cuisine encompasses the regional and traditional foods of Japan, which have developed through centuries of political, economic, and social changes. The traditional cuisine of Japan (Japanese: ) is based on rice with miso soup and other ...
. In English, it is usually called "roasted soy flour". More precisely it is "roasted whole soy flour".
Usage of the word ''kinako'' appeared in cookbooks from the late
Muromachi period
The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate (''Muromachi bakufu'' or ''Ashikaga bakufu''), which was officially established in 1338 by t ...
(1336–1573).
''Kinako'' means "yellow flour" in Japanese.
Production
''Kinako'' is produced by finely grinding roasted soybeans into powder.
The skin of the soybean is typically removed before pulverizing the beans, but some varieties of ''kinako'' retain the roasted skin.
Yellow soybeans produce a yellow ''kinako'', and green soybeans produce a light-green product.
''Kinako'', being composed of soybeans, is a healthy topping and flavouring which contains
B vitamins
B vitamins are a class of water-soluble vitamins that play important roles in cell metabolism and synthesis of red blood cells. Though these vitamins share similar names (B1, B2, B3, etc.), they are chemically distinct compounds that often coexi ...
and
protein
Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respo ...
.
Compared to boiled soybeans, however, the protein in ''kinako'' is not easily digested.
Usage
''Kinako'' is widely used in Japanese cooking, but is strongly associated with ''
dango
is a Japanese dumpling made from rice flour mixed with uruchi rice flour and glutinous rice flour. It is different from the method of making mochi, which is made after steaming glutinous rice. ''Dango'' is usually finished round shaped, thre ...
'' and ''
wagashi
are traditional Japanese confections that are often served with green tea, especially the types made of ''mochi'', ''anko'' ( azuki bean paste), and fruit. ''Wagashi'' are typically made from plant-based ingredients.
History
In Japan, the wo ...
''. ''Dango'',
dumpling
Dumpling is a broad class of dishes that consist of pieces of dough (made from a variety of starch sources), oftentimes wrapped around a filling. The dough can be based on bread, flour, buckwheat or potatoes, and may be filled with meat, fi ...
s made from ''mochiko'' (
rice flour
Rice flour (also rice powder) is a form of flour made from finely milled rice. It is distinct from rice starch, which is usually produced by steeping rice in lye. Rice flour is a common substitute for wheat flour. It is also used as a thickening a ...
), are commonly coated with ''kinako''.
[ ''Wagashi'', traditional Japanese confections, also make extensive use of a mixture of ''kinako'' and sugar.] Examples include ''
ohagi'' and ''Abekawa-mochi''. ''Kinako'', when combined with milk or
soy milk
Soy milk (simplified Chinese: 豆浆; traditional Chinese: 豆漿) also known as soya milk or soymilk, is a plant-based drink produced by soaking and grinding soybeans, boiling the mixture, and filtering out remaining particulates. It is a sta ...
, can also be made into a drink. One example of its use in popular foods is
warabimochi
is a wagashi (Japanese confection) made from warabiko (bracken starch) and covered or dipped in ''kinako'' ( sweet toasted soybean flour). It differs from true ''mochi'' made from glutinous rice. It is popular in the summertime, especially in t ...
, which is a famous kinako-covered sweet.
See also
*
List of soy-based foods
This is a list of soy-based foods. The soybean is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses. The plant is classed as an oilseed rather than a pulse by the UN Food and Agriculture Organizatio ...
*
Pinole
Pinole, also called pinol or pinolillo, is roasted ground maize, which is then mixed with a combination of cocoa, agave, cinnamon, chia seeds, vanilla, or other spices. The resulting powder is then used as a nutrient-dense ingredient to make di ...
*
Besan
Gram flour or kadala maavu is a pulse flour made from a variety of ground chickpea called Bengal gram or ''kaala chana''. It is a staple ingredient in the cuisine of the Indian subcontinent, including in Indian, Bangladeshi, Burmese, Nepal ...
*
Matcha
is finely ground powder of specially grown and processed green tea leaves, traditionally consumed in East Asia. The green tea plants used for matcha are shade-grown for three to four weeks before harvest; the stems and veins are removed during ...
, green powder
References
External links
{{commonscat, Soy powder
History of Roasted Whole Soy Flour (Kinako), Soy Coffee, and Soy Chocolate (2012)Archived 2013
Soy-based foods
Japanese cuisine
Food powders