Shirataki (, often written with the ''

hiragana is a Japanese language, Japanese syllabary, part of the Japanese writing system, along with ''katakana'' as well as ''kanji''. It is a phonetic lettering system. The word ''hiragana'' means "common" or "plain" kana (originally also "easy", ...

'' ) are translucent, gelatinous

Japanese noodles Noodles are a staple of Japanese cuisine. They are often served chilled with dipping sauces, or in soups or hot dishes.Sakui, S. (2009, July 1st)Somen: Chilled, the Japanese Noodles are a Summer Delight ''Los Angeles Times.'' Retrieved January ...

made from the

corm Corm, bulbo-tuber, or bulbotuber is a short, vertical, swollen, underground plant stem that serves as a storage organ that some plants use to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat (perennation). The word ''c ...

of the konjac plant. In traditional

Japanese cuisine Japanese cuisine encompasses the regional and traditional foods of Japan, which have developed through centuries of political, economic, and social changes. The traditional cuisine of Japan (Japanese language, Japanese: ) is based on rice with m ...

, they are eaten in soups or stir-fried. The texture is chewy, similar to a tough jelly, and has little flavor before seasoning. Compared to noodles made from

wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...

rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

, ''shirataki'' is very low in

calories The calorie is a unit of energy that originated from the caloric theory of heat. The large calorie, food calorie, dietary calorie, kilocalorie, or kilogram calorie is defined as the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one liter o ...

, and are sometimes eaten by those on a diet. They are also valuable to people with allergies or intolerances to wheat,

gluten Gluten is a structural protein naturally found in certain Cereal, cereal grains. The term ''gluten'' usually refers to the elastic network of a wheat grain's proteins, gliadin and glutenin primarily, that forms readily with the addition of water ...

or eggs. ''Shirataki'' is often sold in containers with

alkaline In chemistry, an alkali (; from the Arabic word , ) is a basic salt of an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal. An alkali can also be defined as a base that dissolves in water. A solution of a soluble base has a pH greater than 7.0. The ...

water, and needs to be rinsed before cooking to remove the bitter flavor.

Names and forms

The word ''shirataki'' means "white waterfall", referring to the white appearance of the noodles. ''Shirataki'' is also called yam noodles or devil's tongue noodles, referring to the English names of the konjac plant.. One variation is ''ito-konnyaku'' (糸こんにゃく "konjac strings"), which are generally thicker, darker, with a square cross section. It is preferred in the Kansai region.

Composition

The konjac yam, whose corm (a thick underground stem) yields the yam-cake (''konnyaku'') from which the noodles are made, is also called devil's tongue yam or elephant yam. Hui, Yiu. ''Handbook of food science, technology, and engineering''. Volume 4. CRC Press: 2006. Shirataki noodles are made from 97% water and 3% konjac, which contains

glucomannan Glucomannan is a water-soluble polysaccharide that is considered a dietary fiber. It is a hemicellulose component in the Cell wall#Plant cell walls, cell walls of some plant species. Glucomannan is a food additive used as an emulsifier and thick ...

, a water-soluble

dietary fiber Dietary fiber (fibre in English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) or roughage is the portion of plant-derived food that cannot be completely broken down by human digestive enzymes. Dietary fibers are diverse in chemical co ...

. They are very low in digestible carbohydrates and

food energy Food energy is chemical energy that animals and humans derive from food to sustain their metabolism and muscular activity. Most animals derive most of their energy from aerobic respiration, namely combining the carbohydrates, fats, and protein ...

, and have little flavor of their own.

Manufacture

There used to be a difference in manufacturing methods. Producers in the

Kansai region The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo and Shiga, often also Mie, sometimes Fukui, Tokushima and Tottori. The metropol ...

of Japan prepared ''shirataki'' (called ''ito konnyaku'' there) by cutting ''konnyaku'' jelly into threads, while producers in the

Kantō region The is a geography, geographical region of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. In a common definition, the region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures of Japan, prefectures: Chiba Prefecture, Chiba, Gunma Prefe ...

made the noodles by pushing ''konnyaku'' through small holes into a hot, concentrated lime solution.「糸こんにゃく」と「しらたき」論争
, Tokyo Gas Modern producers make both types using the latter method.

Culinary use

''Shirataki'' noodles come in dry and soft "wet" forms in Asian markets and some supermarkets. When purchased wet, they are packaged in liquid. Some brands require rinsing and sautéing or parboiling, as the

water in the packaging has an odor some find unpleasant. They normally have a

shelf life Shelf life is the length of time that a commodity may be stored without becoming unfit for use, consumption, or sale. In other words, it might refer to whether a commodity should no longer be on a pantry shelf (unfit for use), or no longer on a s ...

of up to one year. The noodles can also be drained and dry-roasted, which diminishes bitterness and gives the noodles a more pasta-like consistency. Dry-roasted noodles can be served in soup stock, sauce, or noodle soup. It can also be stir-fried. しらたき炒め---2024-06-21.jpg Shirataki noodle dish.jpg 大阪屋IMG 20220120 03.jpg, Oden with ''shirataki'' noodles Wet shirataki noodles.jpg, Packed in

liquid

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shirataki Noodles Low-carbohydrate diets Japanese noodles