Konnyaku Jelly
The Japanese have been consuming this jelly(as dessert and as an ingredient in their daily consumption) for way over 2000 years! I personally LOVE Konnyaku jelly desserts because they’re so refreshing and clean tasting, you just want to pop them into your mouth all the time :)
Their texture is not unlike gelatin but instead of animal products, Konnyaku comes from a type of mountain potato. To make Konnyaku the potato is grind and mixed with calcium hydroxide or oxide calcium extracted from eggshells to obtain a sticky jelly like substance. So it is ALL vegetarian, no animals are harmed :) This fiber-ful food is not only delicious but also very good for you. It lowers cholesterol and maintains well being because we all know Fiber is good for you. In fact, Konnyaku is a diet’s dream because it expands 20-30 times its size in the tummy making you feel full and it’s low in calories too.
Konnyaku is also known as Konjac, konjaku, devil’s tongue, voodoo lily, snake palm, or elephant yam.
You can usually find Konnyaku in Odens in Japanese cuisine but they are also used to make jelly desserts as I mentioned earlier. Because the Konnyaku jelly is flavorless by itself, it is a great medium to use for any type of flavoring. I used to make Konnyaku jelly desserts with fruits within. I just pop pieces of fruits into ice cube trays and pour some konnyaku solution in and wait till it sets in the fridge :)
The method of preparing Konnyaku Jelly is similar to preparing gelatin. You need to dissolve the powder with water according to instructions on the packet and dispense at your liking :)
Here are some Konnyaku product brand you can look out for in Japan:
Maybe you guys should look for some before summer’s over. It’s a great refreshment for those hot summer days :)
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