About Konjac aka Konnyaku

 

What is Konjac (Konnyaku)?

Konjac (in Japanese, 蒟蒻) is also commonly called Konnyaku or Devil’s Tongue. It is a perennial plant from the IndoChina Peninsula.

The dried form of the Konjac plant contains around 40% Glucomannan, a highly-purified vegetable fiber. Glucomannan is also called Konjac Mannan (Konnyaku).

Glucomannan is one form of dietary fiber in the family of polysaccharides. It is composed with the ratio of 1:2 Glucose and Mannose respectively. In powder form, it is colorless and odorless coupled with its water-loving characteristics, Glucomannan is highly water-absorbable. Due to this unique characteristics, Glucomannan is becoming more popular in the way it is being used and processed.

Konjac (Konnyaku) has been a Japanese traditional food. In Japan, Konnyaku has been used for more than 1500 years. Konjac (Konnyaku) has almost no calories but is very high in dietary fiber. Therefore, it is often used as a method to lose weight and as dietary food. It is also proven that eating Konjac Jelly (Konnyaku) will aid in blood sugar reduction for diabetic patients.

For over a century, Japanese have been using the konjac (konnyaku) vegetable as a beauty treatment for their delicate skin.