Konnyaku – A superfood in the Japanese diet

Konnyaku 糸蒟蒻 is a food product made from yams that is known to be very low in calories and also in cost. It is increasingly undergoing a culinary makeover as consumers embrace it as a diet-friendly superfood.

In Gunma Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, there is even a dedicated konnyaku theme park where visitors can experience making konnyaku products by hand and help themselves to a buffet of konnyaku dishes for free.

Konnyaku, a processed food made from the edible bulb of the konjac plant, is believed to have been introduced from China as a medicine around the sixth century. Used in cooking since the Muromachi period (1336-1573) gained popularity in the Edo era (1603-1868)

Konnyaku has mostly been used in a supporting role in Japanese cuisine, such as in oden or other hot dishes, but this presentation is quickly becoming a thing of the past.

“The image of konnyaku with a peculiar smell but no taste no longer applies,” Nakamura said. “I wanted young people to learn about the charm of konnyaku,” he added, referring to the event.

Konnyaku can be an alternative to white rice, aimed at people with diabetes and other conditions that require them to restrict their carbohydrate intake.

It is also developing a rice alternative in which all the grains are made from konnyaku.

Konnyaku producers hope to make konnyaku one of the world’s staple foods.

According to the Japan Konjac Association in Tokyo, it seeks to increase consumption of the healthy root to combat “lifestyle-related diseases” since konnyaku is low in calories and rich in dietary fiber, the more you eat, the more you eat. lose weight.

Konnyaku, which is usually gray in color with black or white flecks, has a water content of 97 percent, according to the JKA.

It may be the savior from today’s obesity problems.