Konjac is an alkaline food with the functions of lowering blood sugar, reducing blood lipids, and promoting weight loss and bowel movements. Many people have eaten konjac, but still do not really understand what konjac is. Let's learn about konjac together.
What is Konjac?
Konjac, also known as konnyaku and mokuyu, has a planting history of more than two thousand years. It was also known as "demon yam" in ancient times because of its ability to "remove intestinal sand". Konjac grows under sparse forests, and the konjac tofu we often eat is made from its corm. It is a plant of the Amorphophallus genus in the Araceae family, with the largest konjac cultivation in Sichuan Province, China.
Nutritional Value of Konjac
Konjac is a good alkaline food. People who often eat acidic foods such as pork and beef can eat konjac to balance the acidity and alkalinity in the body. Konjac contains 35% starch, 3% protein, as well as rich minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, selenium, and vitamins. Konjac contains 30% glucomannan, which can eliminate harmful substances in the body and inhibit the absorption of carcinogens. Therefore, konjac has the title of "anti-cancer magic clothing". Eating konjac can not only promote weight loss and beauty, but also effectively supplement calcium.
Morphological Characteristics of Konjac
The konjac tofu we often eat is made from konjac corms. The konjac tofu made from konjac corms has a brownish-yellow color, similar to a sponge, with a tender and smooth texture and a delicious taste.
Is Konjac the Same as Taro?
Many people may think that konjac is taro, but in fact, these two are completely different things. Although they are both plants of the Amorphophallus genus, taro belongs to the Colocasia genus, while konjac belongs to the Amorphophallus genus. The tubers of taro can be eaten after being cooked, while the corms of konjac need to undergo a series of processing before they can be used in cooking. Moreover, the tubers of taro are generally smaller than the corms of konjac.
How to Prepare Konjac?
Konjac cannot be eaten raw. It needs to be cooked and processed before it can be used as an ingredient. The traditional method for processing konjac is to grind it into powder, add it to a pot of alkaline water, and boil it. It usually takes more than 3 hours to cook. After it is cooked, remove it, cut it into large pieces, and soak it in cold water. Take it out and cook it when stir-frying.
