What is Konjac?

1. What even is Konjac?

2. Ever heard of Konjac? Chances are, you haven’t. But it’s been around for thousands of years, being eaten as a source of high fibre to supplement diets in place of other carbohydrates such as traditional rice and noodles.

3. It hails from Eastern Asia and is popular in places like Japan, China, and Indonesia. China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and other countries grow konjac to make konjac flours and jelly (which can be used as a vegan substitute for gelatin!) and have been doing so as long as they can remember.

4. Konnyaku, or konjac cakes, are also made with konjac flour. These konjac cakes are also used to make black or white shirataki noodles. In fact, if you’ve had authentic konnyaku at a Japanese restaurant, chances are it was made of konjac!

5. What does it taste like? Konjac has very little taste of its own, and is prized in the East for its texture far more than its flavour – it has a very neutral, slightly salted taste

6. Now that the West has discovered konjac, it’s been put to a variety of other uses, mainly to create healthy meals for the purpose of weight-loss. High in fibre and completely carb and gluten-free, it makes the perfect meal for those of GF, keto, vegan, and low-carb diets.

7. Glucomannan, a sugar made from konjac root and an ingredient (as a gelling agent) in all konjac food products, is also used separately as a medicine and can be used to treat constipation and type 2 diabetes, as well as lower cholesterol and blood sugar.

8. Konjac pasta, such as that found in our Slim ranges, is extremely popular as it closely resembles the bite and texture of regular pasta and can be used to substitute it in any recipe. The neutral taste goes with pretty much any of your usual pasta sauces!

9. Since konjac is also gluten-free, many people with gluten sensitivities and Coeliac disease opt for konjac products or regular. People following specific diets, such as low-carb, sugar-free or paleo, also often choose konjac products.

10. Noodles made using Konjac

11. Although konjac has a neutral taste, it has a slightly fishy smell – anyone who has ever cooked shirataki noodles can attest to this! In fact, konjac flour is often used in the preparation of vegan ‘seafood’ flavours for this reason.

12. If your konjac product smells fishy when you open the packet, don’t be alarmed – it’s a sign of its authenticity and quality. Most products just need a rinse to remove the fishy smell – give your konjac rice or noodles a good rinse with cold water, and you’re good to go.

13. If you want to avoid the smell, you can purchase our No Drain range which has virtually no smell! If you’re curious about konjac, give it a try – we’d be happy to help you start your konjac journey with our delicious range.

14. To read more interesting artciles on health and wellness, please visit - www.eatwater.co.uk/community/slim-blog/