Key Ingredient
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Konnyaku, that wiggly, jiggly ingredient that turns up in hot-pot dishes this time of year, may be intimidating to the uninitiated, but it is an integral part of many hearty Japanese winter dishes.The basics: Konnyaku is a firm jellylike cake made from the tuber of a yam plant in the taro family. The tuber, also known as devil's tongue or elephant foot, originated in China and was introduced to Japan as a medicinal plant.
The Japanese have been consuming the root in the form of konnyaku for hundreds of years. It was originally enjoyed as a vegetarian food by Buddhist monks, later becoming incorporated in a number of stewed and braised dishes.
The konnyaku root takes approximately three years to mature. When harvested it looks like a misshapen brown bulb, weighing about 5 pounds. The tuber is washed, peeled, sliced and dried, then ground into a powder. This konnyaku flour is then added to water to make a paste, and a coagulant is added to form a gelatin.
Konnyaku comes in a white, refined form and a dark, speckled, unrefined form. It is also made into stringlike strands called shirataki (meaning "white waterfall") and miniballs.
Konnyaku is generally eaten for its chewy texture rather than its taste. It is bland but soaks up flavors from seasonings used in soups and stews. Konnyaku is also a good source of fiber and is said to have properties that lower blood pressure and cholesterol. The flour is also made into glucomannan powder, used as an herbal supplement.
Selection and storage: All forms of konnyaku come in water-sealed bags or containers. Unopened konnyaku can last about a month in the refrigerator. Once opened, however, it needs to be used immediately. Konnyaku will take on a foul smell when it goes bad.
Use: Drain and rinse konnyaku before using. It must be cooked before eating (with the exception of a specialty dish, sashimi konnyaku).
The main use of konnyaku is in oden, a winter stew made of kamaboko, daikon, tofu and various vegetables.
Konnyaku can also be chopped and used in other stewed dishes, such as nishime and umani, or simply sliced and added to miso soup. Shirataki is most often used in sukiyaki. Parboiled konnyaku is also becoming popular as a salad, with a sesame-based dressing.
Where to buy: Konnyaku is found in the refrigerated sections of supermarkets (often next to the tofu). Prices run from 99 cents on sale to $2.29 for six to seven ounces.
Food Stuffs: Morsels
Eleanor Nakama-Mitsunaga is
a free-lance food writer. Contact her
online through features@starbulletin.com
