One of the key ingredients of
Konnyaku, a traditional Japanese health food is flour derived from a taro/yam plant. This is mixed with calcium hydroxide or calcium oxide extracted from eggshells. This yam plant known as konjac, Devil's tongue or elephant yam is grown in the mountains of Japan and also in Indonesia.
Konnyaku is a very low calorie food, virtually zero as it contains 97% water and 3% fibre in the form of a viscous substance called glucomannan. It has traces of protein, starch, calcium and also rich in vitamin C.
Although low in calorie, it's high in fibre, non-fat and is good for weight reduction as it's very filling. It also helps in the cleansing of toxin in the intestines, normalises the cholesterol and sugar level and prevents high blood pressure.
Konnyaku on its own tastes rather bland. It is gelatinous, firm and chewy and takes on the flavour of whatever it's cooked in.
A word of caution Jelly products containing konnayku may pose choking hazards as they can get stuck in the throats.
Thus it's not suitable to serve this to children below 4 years of age and to the elderly. It is highly recommended therefore, to cut the jelly into smaller pieces and chewed properly before swallowing.
Read on for the Recipe
