ring-shaped baked wheat gluten (Niigata specialty)
A local food product from Niigata Prefecture. Made by baking wheat gluten (fu) into a cylindrical shape and slicing it into rings, resembling a wheel (車). Often used in simmered dishes.
I bought some kuruma-bu, a Niigata specialty, as a souvenir.
Kuruma-bu absorbs flavors well when simmered.
Standard kanji spelling for this Niigata specialty.
Simplified spelling sometimes used in casual or commercial contexts.
Variant kanji form using 麸 instead of 麩; less common.
Compound of 車 (wheel) and 麩 (wheat gluten), referring to the wheel-like ring shape of the baked gluten slices.