tofu-shiritake noodles

[LindsayAnn]

So, who has heard of or tried tofu-shiritake noodles?

What are your thoughts of them? I have seen then packaged at whole foods and a few other select grocery stores, packaged in water actually....in a bad in water.

The entire package has two servings, at like 20 cals a serving...I think. THAT IS AMAZINGLY low....but why?

Any health risks of these? I have heard that they make digestion hard for some people...and I have even heard stories of a few people have vomited because of eating them (and as the story goes - the noodles were practically whole when they came up - sorry for the detail...even though they were chewed when they went down). What is going on here? Why these reactions...if they are true that is. This has been hear say - i haven't experimented with them myself...yet. So - should I?

If your a fan...why? What do they taste like? What dishes do they work well with, and on the other hand, what do they NOT work well with?

Anyone out there tried these who has not liked these also - for that matter?

Just curious, I have seemed to see and hear a lot of hype about them recently. I need some of the famous e-gulleters advice on this though - without that I cannot trust what I have already heard

Thanks - hope some of you foodies know something about these!

[Matcha Eyes]

I have been eating shiritake noodles for a few years. They don't taste like regular pasta, but then again to me they don't really taste like anything. I guess the chewy texture is what makes them different. The only thing I had to get used to is the odor of the water they are packed it. When you first open the bag, it gives off kind of a fishy odor but it doesn't affect the taste. Once you rinse them, the odor goes away.

Yes, sadly, it is true that sometimes they can come up or out in the same shape. I did overdose on about 4 packs of noodles in 1 day and they came back up. That was the only time I got sick after eating them. However, it could have been something else I ate that made me sick. I won't get into the science of vomiting.

My favorite things to use shiritake noodles in are mostly Asian-inspired dishes like miso soup. They are bulky and filling, but without the refined carbohydrate effect. They fit my vegan lifestyle so I don't have to worry about eggs being in them. I like both the regular shape and the fettucine style- sometimes the store only has the fettucine in stock. I like to cut them in half first because they are really long like ramen noodles.

I haven't tried them in Italian-style pasta dishes because I don't think they work well when it comes to getting sauce to stick to them. When I have added them to stir-fries, they still retain a lot of moisture even after straining them for a while.

The low calorie count makes them popular with people watching their weight. From what I know, most people either love them or hate them. It all comes down to personal taste.

[Hiroyuki]

Just wanted to say, "not shiritaki but shirataki".

Sorry for interruption.

[Tess]

I cook with them sometimes. I agree that they aren't well suited to Italian dishes. It's a good idea to parboil them as indicated on the package. For a different texture I sometimes (after parboiling and draining thoroughly) throw them in a large frying pan with a little bit of sauce; they crisp up fairly well.

[SheenaGreena]

are shirataki same as konnyaku products? if so than I don't think shirataki is made from tofu (unless it says so on the packaging).

oh and they are mainly eaten in japan in oden.

Edited June 12, 2007 by SheenaGreena (log)

[sanrensho]

Here's the Web site for House brand tofu shirataki:

http://www.tofushirataki.com/

I've never had it, but it appears to be a konnyaku-based shirataki with tofu added.

[hsm]

I bought some in Chinatown, for less than half the price Whole Foods charges (surprise!). I rinsed and par-boiled them before adding to an Asian-style soup. Chewy, as I recall, in a good way. I got some of the satisfaction of an udon noodle. I would use them again in a similar way, good to know they crisp up, thanks Tess. In a tomato or pesto sauce? Uh, no.

Fwiw, my system is on the sensitive side and I...didn't have any problems.

[mizducky]

Yeah, tofu shirataki are made of konnyaku with some tofu added. I may be wrong, but I believe the tofu shirataki were developed for non-Japanese consumers who would like the low caloric content of konnyaku products but might be put off by regular konnyaku products' bouncy texture and translucent "color". The opaque white tofu shirataki look a bit more like conventional pasta, and also tend to have a much softer texture--still not like pasta made from wheat flour, but closer than pure-konnyaku shirataki.

There is a certain amount of misinformation floating around the web about konnyaku products and alleged wildly negative effects on the digestive system, so take these wilder stories with a grain of salt. FWIW, I've eaten a whole lot of konnyaku products of various sorts with no negative effects whatsoever.

[laurelm]

I shy away from pasta, so I use these noodles all the time.

I agree with pretty much everything said here, rinse, parboil them, cut them in half and they work best in Asian dishes.

The noodles are pretty tasteless and I have worked hard to incorporate more flavor in them.

Last night I boiled hot Italian sausage, rinsed the noodles with normal water then rinsed them with the sausage cooked water I reserved, added them to the pan, with all the ingredients, basil, pine nuts, tomato, parmesan and the sausage.

The noodles definitely got more flavor than usual and it was delicious. But it really was the first non-asian dish that I found that worked. The sausages probably made a difference as well though- fresh from the butcher.

I have not heard any digestive problems, but the first time I tried them I was ill. My husband was fine which is why I tried them again and I have not had a problem since.

[Abra]

I eat a lot of shirataki noodles, but I never rinse or parboil them. I like the flavor just as they are, so I don't want to rinse it away, and then I'm usually dropping them into an Asian broth so I let them simmer in there to soak up some additional flavor. I've never eaten more than one bag at a time, and I've never had any digestive upsets as a result.

If you're having problems with them being "tasteless" try no rinse, no parboil.

[viva]

Love the shirataki - and agree they are best in Asian stir fry and noodle soup applications. I prefer spaghetti squash for my low cal Italian noodle substitute.

I don't rinse or parboil the shirataki either. I do pat them dry fairly well or else the stir fry gets watery.

ETA: No deleterious digestive effects for me.

Edited June 13, 2007 by viva (log)

[Hiroyuki]

Just wanted to say, tofu-shirataki noodles are NOT shirataki noodles. The former is not available in Japan.

[chemprof]

I tried the tofu shirataki for the first time yesterday, and I thought they were pretty good. I was a little worried b/c I had tried konnyaku products when I visited Japan and found the texture a little off-putting. I agree with what folks have said above about them seeming better suited for Asian-style dishes. I rinsed and parboiled them, and didn't notice any fishy taste or smell at that point. I think if I was using fish sauce in the recipe, I could skip the parboil step. I made a little peanut sauce, and tossed them with that and some cucumber, red bell pepper, thai basil and mint (shoot, I just remembered that I did have cilantro in the fridge! ) Anyhow, pretty tasty and 0 WW points according to the online points calculuator!

Anne

[hummingbirdkiss]

rinse them well then toss them with chopped up kimchee some sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds

they are wonderful in cold Asian ..mainly Korean in my opinion ..side dishes

you can also buy the Yam Cake (same stuff just in a block shape) and slice it making the same dish as I mentioned above

there are almost no carbs in it I think

[Terrasanct]

I've been using them for a few years, and I like them. A fair substitute for Ramen, which has too much fat and too many carbs for me these days. As far as digestive issues, they can act like any kind of fiber--I wouldn't eat too much at once if you're not used to them. My husband is a picky eater and he doesn't mind them, either.

[Dejah]

Tried tofu shirataki noodles for lunch just now. I boiled yu choi in Campbell's chicken broth, then poured this over the noodles to heat them up.

I noticed a slight "shrimpy" aroma when I opened the package. It wasn't offensive, so I didn't both parboiling or rinsing them. To add punch to this lunch, I had some preserved radish in chili oil and a drizzle of sesame oil.

I quite like the chewier texture compared to ramen; it made me slow down! Also picked up a package of noodles shaped like fettucinni / ho fun. I might try to stir-fry them in a little oyster sauce tomorrow.

These really need flavour boosters but will be a nice change from spaghetti squash!