Narazuke, as the name suggests, is a pickle originating in Nara, made by adding various vegetables and fruits to sake lees. The wooden tablet at right, from the 8th century, features the inscription kasuzuke uri (edible gourd sake lees pickles). Sake lees pickles of long ago were made by pickling melons and other things in thick sake lees.

Kudzu is a climbing plant that grows naturally in the mountains and fields. The powdered starch made from the roots of the kudzu plant,

Yoshino hon-kuzu is used to make Japanese sweets and to thicken dishes.