{"id":6910,"date":"2011-09-23T10:12:31","date_gmt":"2011-09-23T08:12:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.withaglass.com\/?p=6910"},"modified":"2013-06-03T23:13:12","modified_gmt":"2013-06-03T21:13:12","slug":"shirataki-%e7%99%bd%e6%bb%9d%e3%81%97%e3%82%89%e3%81%9f%e3%81%8d-or-zero-calorie-noodles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.withaglass.com\/?p=6910","title":{"rendered":"Shirataki (\u767d\u6edd,\u3057\u3089\u305f\u304d), Ito Konnyaku (\u7cf8\u849f\u84bb), or Zero-Calorie Noodles"},"content":{"rendered":"

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This title is not a joke. Of course the above bowl’s content doesn’t have zero calories, but the white, slightly transparent threads have zero – or almost – calories. They are also healthy, natural and I still remember being totally blown away when I discovered them at my Japanese grocer’s. Shirataki (\u767d\u6edd or\u3057\u3089\u305f\u304d), sometimes called konnyaku noodles or ito konnyaku \u7cf8\u849f\u84bb\u00a0(see Hiroyuki’s and Nami’s comments below), are made from konjak (Amorphophallus konjac, <\/strong>also called<\/span> <\/strong><\/em>devil’s tongue, yam or konnyaku), which is transformed into flour and then mixed with water to produce a sort of gelatinous, transparent substance. The latter is sold most often in two basic forms: noodles (shirataki or ito konnyaku) and rectangular, often brownish, blocks (ita konnyaku). Both are sold in bags filled with water and, kept in the fridge, they have a very long shelf life.<\/p>\n

In Japan noodles and rectangular blocks are usually used in stews and soups. The blocks are often torn into pieces to increase the surface which will absorb more flavours and juices. See how in the Shinya Shokudo (\u6df1\u591c\u98df\u5802) opening (my beloved tv series), Master tears into pieces a block of konnyaku to prepare tonjiru (a pork soup):<\/p>\n