125 replies to this topic

[helenjp]

I meant to buy some sashimi konnyaku...

[mizducky]

Oy. And I have a package of shirataki sitting in the fridge, but was feeling under the weather today and not up to messing with any cooking experiments ...

[JasonTrue]

Hiromi made houtou and I twisted up some konnyaku... hopefully I'll have a photo shortly.

By the way, if anyone gets around to blogging something, let me know, I'm a bit of a slacker tonight so it will be another day or two.

[smallworld]

This was my contribution to Konnyaku day: ito-konnyaku to sakura-ebi no itame (konnyaku "strings" sauteed with dried baby shrimp). I liked it a lot, and even my konnyaku-hating husband enjoyed it.

[Hiroyuki]

torakris: How long did it take for you to make that tama konnyaku?

smallworld: What is that on top that looks like shredded ao jiso leaves?

I searched for ito konnyaku, but in vain. I used tsuki konnyaku instead. Tsuki konnyaku is similar to ito konnyaku but is shorter (about 5-6 cm). My wife, who is native to the Uonuma district of Niigata, says that ito konnyaku is the same as shirataki. I know that the term "shirataki" is used in Kanto while "ito konnyaku" is used in Kansai, but why in Niigata??
My understanding is that ito konnyaku is thicker than shirataki, but this is not at all universal in Japan.

[torakris]

torakris:  How long did it take for you to make that tama konnyaku?


I searched for ito konnyaku, but in vain.  I used tsuki konnyaku instead.  Tsuki konnyaku is similar to ito konnyaku but is shorter (about 5-6 cm).  My wife, who is native to the Uonuma district of Niigata, says that ito konnyaku is the same as shirataki.  I know that the term "shirataki" is used in Kanto while "ito konnyaku" is used in Kansai, but why in Niigata??
My understanding is that ito konnyaku is thicker than shirataki, but this is not at all universal in Japan.

It took about 3 minutes with the prepared sauce pack....

I, too, always thought that ito konnyaku was just fat shirataki, I had no idea they were called different things in different regions.

[SheenaGreena]

sorry, I just had to bump this up. I was reading an old thread on natto and somehow I was directed to this...funny how egullet works.

so are shiritaki noodles the same thing as konnyaku? After reading this read, I noticed that you can't eat too much. What, in your opinion is too much for one person? I don't want to eat alot of this stuff and then have to be rolled to the restroom. Also, is it hard to find in the us? Here in Boston we have a pretty asian supermarket chain (which carries shiritaki) but it caters mainly to chinese & vietnamese. There is also a japanese grocery store but it is very small compared to the chinese/vietnamese one, hopefully they carry it

[Hiroyuki]

sorry, I just had to bump this up.  I was reading an old thread on natto and somehow I was directed to this...funny how egullet works.

so are shiritaki noodles the same thing as konnyaku?  After reading this read, I noticed that you can't eat too much.  What, in your opinion is too much for one person?  I don't want to eat alot of this stuff and then have to be rolled to the restroom.  Also, is it hard to find in the us?  Here in Boston we have a pretty asian supermarket chain (which carries shiritaki) but it caters mainly to chinese & vietnamese.  There is also a japanese grocery store but it is very small compared to the chinese/vietnamese one, hopefully they carry it

Shirataki (not shiritaki) is a thread-like version of konnyaku.
How much is too much?? Just make sukiyaki or gyudon and you'll know that!
I suppose you should ask your other questions in the appropriate U.S. forum.

[Chihiran]

sorry, I just had to bump this up.  I was reading an old thread on natto and somehow I was directed to this...funny how egullet works.

so are shiritaki noodles the same thing as konnyaku?  After reading this read, I noticed that you can't eat too much.  What, in your opinion is too much for one person?  I don't want to eat alot of this stuff and then have to be rolled to the restroom.  Also, is it hard to find in the us?  Here in Boston we have a pretty asian supermarket chain (which carries shiritaki) but it caters mainly to chinese & vietnamese.  There is also a japanese grocery store but it is very small compared to the chinese/vietnamese one, hopefully they carry it

First. I love konyaku! I love the thin konyaku (itokon) best, but block konyaku is great in simmered dishes, like oden. And I have always been an enormous konyaku eater.

Along with all of the seaweeds, kanten (only sometimes), and natto, it is the best food to add to a meal for good health and figure!! I ate so much of it, especially in high-school, when I had a huge appetite all the time, but of course, I had to be able to wear my uniform!

I refuse to believe all of the health risks of konyaku that people are bringing up in this thread. I'm sure there are so many things that are worse for you, and no one in my family (all konyaku lovers) has ever had any problems. None of my friends either.

So I don't know of a serving size that is "safe", because I think that you will know when you're too full to eat more, like with any other food.

And I need to share my favorite preparation! (or one of). Konyaku has a very funny smell/taste when it comes out of a package, so it's really necessary to either cook it for a long time (like with oden) or to boil it first. If you boil the strands of konyaku for about 5 minutes, drain them, and then toss them with a little mentaiko... so good!!

[Chapter House]

Here in Boston ... there is also a japanese grocery store ... hopefully they carry it.

Yoshinoya and Kotobukiya do, indeed, both have it in stock.

John

[Hiroyuki]

All I know about Konnyaku (spelling) is that it is made from yam flour and has caloric value.  Aparently it expands 30 to 50 times its size in your digestive system, which makes you feel full.  It is used as a diet food in japan and is sometimes flavored with seaweed.

I would love to know the taste, uses, and any interesting experiences you have had with it.  I am sure I can get it here in Seattle at one of the Asian  Groceries.  Are any brands better than others?  Can you make it at home?  Would you want to?

Thanks everybody!

Ben

Thanks everyone for their replies.
I think Schielke referred to glucomannan contained in konnyaku flour, not konnyaku itself. Konnyaku is 96 to 97% water plus konnyaku flour.
There are no health risks associated with konnyaku, only health benefits!

[SheenaGreena]

I bought some yesterday although it was labeled "yam cake"

I bought "white" and "seaweed" flavor. It smelled pretty gross coming out of the package.

I thought it contained alot of fiber? on the nutrition label it had 0% dietary fiber...where did it all go? That was one of the main reasons I wanted to buy it

do any of you marinate it? I feel that that definitely helps with the flavor. I marinated some overnight in shoyu and lime juice (because I was too cheap to buy ponzu)

[mizducky]

Also, is it hard to find in the us?  Here in Boston we have a pretty asian supermarket chain (which carries shiritaki) but it caters mainly to chinese & vietnamese.  There is also a japanese grocery store but it is very small compared to the chinese/vietnamese one, hopefully they carry it

So far, I have yet to see any form of konnyaku turn up in a mainstream (i.e. catering to non-Asians) supermarket, even in those stores' "ethnic foods" aisles. However, a number of the local Asian supermarkets here in San Diego carry several varieties all the time--especially 99 Ranch and Vien Dong markets.

I do remember having a bit of fun trying to hunt the stuff down for the very first time, never having even seen it before other than in photos on the web. I asked a very helpful manager at 99 Ranch--he had decent English skills, but there was apparently still a bit of a language gap going on. I'm guessing that as a Chinese guy he wasn't so familiar with Japanese products; or else my pronunciation of the word "konnyaku" was way the heck off somehow. When I called it "yam cake," he guessed I meant Chinese style turnip cake--which I did buy and enjoy a lot, but I could tell immediately it was not the product I'd been looking for. Thankfully, on a later visit to 99 Ranch I did stumble upon their stock of konnyaku, in the same refrigerator case where they kept tofu, fresh noodles, pickled veggies, and other chilled products of that sort.

(Edited for clarity)

Edited by mizducky, 15 September 2006 - 01:48 PM.

[Hiroyuki]

I thought it contained alot of fiber?  on the nutrition label it had 0% dietary fiber...where did it all go?  That was one of the main reasons I wanted to buy it

That's strange. Glucomannan is a dietary fiber.
http://en.wikipedia....iki/Glucomannan

I don't marinate konnyaku. Konnyaku is usually parboiled for a few seconds before use.

[torakris]

I bought "white" and "seaweed" flavor.  It smelled pretty gross coming out of the package.

I thought it contained alot of fiber?  on the nutrition label it had 0% dietary fiber...where did it all go?  That was one of the main reasons I wanted to buy it

The more processed it is the less fiber it is going to contain, the white and flavored versions are going to have the least fiber of all.
I couldn't find too much info (and I don't have any konnyaku in the house at the moment) but a couple sites gave 2.2% fiber (per 100g) for konnyaku made from the powder and 3% (per 100g) for that made with fresh yams (potatoes/tubers/whatever you want to call it)

[mizducky]

I had fun yesterday making up my own cross-cultural nabemono:



Ingredients: shirataki, Chinese-style dried bean curd stick, dried shiitake, dried maitake, onion, garlic, ginger, carrot, kombu, and scallions, all in home-made dashi (my first try at making dashi from scratch, too). I seasoned it with a splash of Chinese dark soy sauce.

Obviously, I could have spent a little more time neatening up the presentation, but what the hey. It came out pretty darned tasty if I do say so myself, and I will definitely be making this combination (or variants thereof) again.

[Hiroyuki]

Ingredients: shirataki, Chinese-style dried bean curd stick, dried shiitake, dried maitake, onion, garlic, ginger, carrot, kombu, and scallions, all in home-made dashi (my first try at making dashi from scratch, too). I seasoned it with a splash of Chinese dark soy sauce.

Wow, a lot of dietary fiber! You will be pleasantly surprised in the bathroom in about eight hours or so. As they say, kai-shoku kai-ben (eat well, evacuate well) !

[mizducky]

Ingredients: shirataki, Chinese-style dried bean curd stick, dried shiitake, dried maitake, onion, garlic, ginger, carrot, kombu, and scallions, all in home-made dashi (my first try at making dashi from scratch, too). I seasoned it with a splash of Chinese dark soy sauce.

Wow, a lot of dietary fiber! You will be pleasantly surprised in the bathroom in about eight hours or so. As they say, kai-shoku kai-ben (eat well, evacuate well) !

Heh. Actually, that was sorta-kinda deliberate. I woke up yesterday morning feeling a bit out of sorts from the weekend, and decided to make something that would help clear my system out. So to speak. Heck of a lot more interesting--not to mention tastier--way of doing it than eating prunes.

[Hiroyuki]

Which color of konnyaku do you prefer, black or white? I had assumed that was just personal preferences, but I learned today from the TV show, Me ga Ten, that there are prefectural preferences. People in Yamagata, Fukushima, and Miyagi and other northern prefectures use white konnyaku, while those in southern preferectures use black, and these preferences closely correspond to whether konnyaku potatoes can be cultivated in the prefectures.
In the past, konnyaku potatoes were grated skins and all, so that the resultant konnyaku was black. Thus, people in those prefectures where konnyaku potatoes can be cultivated take it for granted that konnyaku is black. People in those prefectures where they cannot be cultivated don't know what color konnyaku should be, thus they prefer white konnyaku.

As for me, I like both.

Today, black konnyaku is made by adding hijiki and other seaweeds to konnyaku powder.

[torakris]

Since I am not from any prefecture...

I prefer the black, to me the white is completely flavorless but his could be one of things where my brain is playing a trick on me. Maybe they really taste exactly the same and I am just assuming the white one is more bland.

Is it just me or has anyone else been noticing the rise in konnyaku products in the past year or two? Especially products made with grated yam rather than the powdered version.

[Domestic Goddess]

I wonder if they have konnyaku products here in Korea. If there are, what would be its name in korean?

[GlorifiedRice]

How long do blocks of white Konnyaku last?

Neither one has any dates on them.

[Hiroyuki]

How long do blocks of white Konnyaku last?

Neither one has any dates on them.

30 to 90 days.
If stored properly, however, they will last half a year or longer.

Once you open the pack, use it up soon.

Wha are you going to do with yours?

[GlorifiedRice]

30 to 90 days.
If stored properly, however, they will last half a year or longer.

Once you open the pack, use it up soon.

Wha are you going to do with yours?

I have no clue. I was cleaning out my fridge today and found some in the back.
I adore the way shiritaki gets in sukiyaki. Is there anything that I can do with the blocks that changes it to sukiyaki like shirataki?

[JasonTrue]

I guess you could press it through a cutter like the ones used for tokoroten, but it's likely you don't have such equipment. I'd just use it for something like dengaku-konnyaku.

Here are a few other ideas:
http://blog.jagaimo....05/30/2416.aspx

(You can do any of the things you see there with the white konnyaku)

Dengaku konnyaku just requires sugar, mirin, miso, and optionally some egg yolks cooked until thick. Warm up the konnyaku, flip, add the sauce, and lightly broil the konnyaku until the miso sauce is bubbly.

The dengaku miso is not the best one I've made, but it should give you an idea.

[Hiroyuki]

30 to 90 days.
If stored properly, however, they will last half a year or longer.

Once you open the pack, use it up soon.

Wha are you going to do with yours?

I have no clue. I was cleaning out my fridge today and found some in the back.
I adore the way shiritaki gets in sukiyaki. Is there anything that I can do with the blocks that changes it to sukiyaki like shirataki?

Hm.........No. Follow Jason's suggestions or if you can cut them as thin as tsuki konnyaku, you can mix them with udon to make the dish like this.

[mizducky]

The weather's been a little nippy even down here in Southern California (actually got down to freezing last night!) so it's time for simmering some shirataki ...

This has also got chunks of firm tofu, carrot, daikon, and onion, plus broken bits of shiitake, in home-made dashi. The house smells terrific!

[mizducky]

I dropped in the local branch of Mitsuwa Marketplace and had myself a little konnyaku spree:


The variety that is a first for me is the sashimi konnyaku:

Apparently the green flecks are seaweed; rosemary extract is also listed in the ingredients. I'm not sure how clear it is from the photo, but this konnyaku is formed into two thick "homemade"-looking patties somewhat like really fat hamburgers.

Back a couple of pages in this topic I saw several people recommending that sashimi konnyaku be served with karashi, either alone or mixed with soy sauce. Alas, I didn't think to buy any karashi while at Mitsuwa. How would a mix of wasabi and soy sauce do?

[Hiroyuki]

There is nothing wrong with having sashimi konnyaku with soy sauce and wasabi.
I think that sashimi konnyaku is most often served with su miso (vinegar/miso sauce). In Japan, sashimi konnyaku often comes with a small packet of su miso.

Example of su miso:

4 tbsp white miso
2 tbsp vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp sugar

The seaweed in the sashimi konnyaku is probably "ao nori".

Enjoy your sashimi konnyaku!

[mizducky]

There is nothing wrong with having sashimi konnyaku with soy sauce and wasabi.
I think that sashimi konnyaku is most often served with su miso (vinegar/miso sauce).  In Japan, sashimi konnyaku often comes with a small packet of su miso.

Example of su miso:

4 tbsp white miso
2 tbsp vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp sugar

The seaweed in the sashimi konnyaku is probably "ao nori".

Enjoy your sashimi konnyaku!

Thanks, Hiroyuki! I do have miso in the house, but it's brown not white ... I think I'll go with the wasabi/soy sauce option this time; by the next time I pick up some sashimi konnyaku I'll see if I can also remember the other stuff.