konnyaku (food)

蒟蒻
菎蒻
こんにゃく
こんにゃく芋
コンニャクイモ

Konnyaku, also called konjac, konjak, or konjaku, is a food product made from the corms of the konjac plant (Amorphophallus konjac), grown in Japan and elsewhere in east/southeast Asia.

The corms are made into a jelly-like, rectangular brick of food-stuff. It is basically flavorless, and is usually an ingredient in more complex foods rather than eaten straight. It is frequently used as a vegan substitute for gelatin. Unlike gelatin, however, konnyaku can be a choking hazard if not properly chewed.

Konnyaku is used in making oden, lychee cups and konjac candy, a thick Jello-like snack made with fruit paste to flavor the konnyaku. Konnyaku can also be pressed through a mesh to create gelatinous noodles called shirataki, often used in Japanese soups like sukiyaki or gyuudon.

Konnyaku is low in calories and high in fiber, so it is frequently used as diet food.

See also