If you follow a keto lifestyleor you just try to keep your carb count low, you’ll probably run across konjac in your quest for low-carb products. Konjac is a starchy root vegetable used in low-carb food products. Here, we’ll explain more about what it is, what its potential benefits and downsides are and how to cook with it.
What Is Konjac?
Konjac, also known as elephant yam, is a plant commonly grown in Asia. The starchy bulb root, known as a corm, is used to make food like noodles and “rice” (similar to how yourice cauliflower). It contains glucomannan, a water-solubledietary fiber, and is sometimes used as a weight loss supplement, according to a 2020 review inObesity Medicine. Whether or not weight loss supplements that contain konjac work is still up for debate, however, and more research needs to be done.
How Do You Cook with Konjac?
In powder form, konjac is used to thicken soups and sauces the way you might use cornstarch. Several brands use it to make shirataki noodles or shirataki rice, both of which are considered low-carb and keto-friendly.
Shirataki noodles have a gelatinous texture and are commonly used in Japanese cooking. You can buy shirataki noodles online or find them in the Asian food section of your supermarket. The noodles and rice are marketed as low-carb (or no-carb). This is because their carb content issolow that the net carbs for a serving are zero. The theory is that those few carbs are fiber-rich and pass through your body without being absorbed.
You might also find konjac in your gluten-free baked goods. According to 2021 research inFoods, konjac flour is being used as an ingredient in gluten-free bread. Researchers state that the bread that had about 37.5% of its flour in the form of konjac had the best formulation (as opposed to others with more or less of the flour), including color, texture and volume.
Is Konjac Good for You?
While its nutritional worth is still being evaluated, in January 2020, theFDAannounced its intention to propose glucomannan be added to the definition of dietary fiber that was established in 2016.
What Are the Side Effects of Konjac Root?
We mentioned that konjac is used as a thickener in cooking—which means it swells when it’s mixed with water. This can be potentially dangerous when eaten in certain forms. In the early 2000s, for example, theFDA issued several recallsfor fruit jelly candies made from konjac because of choking hazards. The problem was that the candies didn’t dissolve in your mouth and could get caught in your throat.
What Does Konjac Taste Like?
As previously mentioned in theFoodsstudy, konjac can have a fishy flavor. Companies that sell shirataki noodles and rice, however, say that they have very little taste on their own and will take up whatever flavors you’re cooking with them.
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