Shirataki noodles

Shirataki noodles

Shirataki noodles (top) and other ingredients in a donabe
Type	Japanese noodles
Place of origin	Japan
Main ingredients	Noodles (konjac yam)
Cookbook: Shirataki noodles  Media: Shirataki noodles

Shirataki (白滝, often written with the hiragana しらたき) are thin, translucent, gelatinous traditional Japanese noodles made from the konjac yam (devil's tongue yam or elephant yam).^[1] The word "shirataki" means "white waterfall", describing the appearance of these noodles. Largely composed of water and glucomannan, a water-soluble dietary fiber, they are very low in digestible carbohydrates and calories, and have little flavor of their own.^[2][3][4]

Shirataki noodles can be found both in dry and soft "wet" forms in Asian markets and some supermarkets. When purchased wet, they are packaged in liquid. They normally have a shelf life of up to one year. Some brands may require rinsing or par-boiling as the water they are packaged in has an odor that may be unpleasant to those not accustomed to it.

Alternatively, the noodles can be drained and dry roasted. This gets rid of the bitterness. It also makes the noodles have a more pasta-like consistency. Dry roasting is done by placing noodles in a non-stick skillet on high for a minute or until you hear a slight squeaking noise when moving them around. After that they are ready to be added to soup stock or have a sauce added to them.^[5]

Sources

The glucomannan noodles come from the root of an Asian plant called konjac (full name Amorphophallus konjac). It has been nicknamed the elephant yam, and also called konjaku, konnyaku, or the konnyaku potato.^[6]

Other names

Shirataki also goes by the names "ito konnyaku", yam noodles, and devil's tongue noodles.^[7]

Ito konnyaku and shirataki

There used to be a difference in manufacturing methods; in the Kansai region of Japan, ito konnyaku was prepared by cutting konnyaku jelly into threads, while in the Kantō region, shirataki was prepared by extruding konnyaku sol through small holes into a hot lime solution in high concentration.^[8] Nowadays, both are prepared using the latter method. Ito konnyaku is generally thicker than shirataki, with a square cross section and a darker color. It is preferred in the Kansai region.

References