Shirataki noodles, konjac noodles or keto noodles? Know your noodles.

What is shirataki? What is konjac? What are keto noodles? So many noodle questions and so little time. We’re going to try and lay it all out for you here. Slendier products are all examples of shirataki, konjac, konyakku or keto noodles, pasta and rice

Shirataki Noodles. These famous noodles started their humble origins in Japan. The noodles are made from a type of yam called the konjac plant. The noodles are made from yam like tubers that are made into a cake that is pushed through a wooden box with grids of sharp blades. This results in what is called shirataki noodles which is sold in black and white colours. Slendier noodles are made using traditional methods and we make sure the process we use is very simple. The noodles are typically made by mixing powdered konjac root with water and lime water, boiled and cooled, then solidified into noodles. Because they are typically quite fragile, they are sold in plastic bags along with accompanying water to ensure they stay intact.

Konjac. The Konjac plant is a perennial herb that belongs to the Amorphophallus plant family. It grows mostly in tropical and subtropical regions of eastern Asia, including countries like China, Japan, and India.  People also refer to it as konjaku, elephant yam, devil’s tongue, snake palm, and voodoo lily.

You can find Konjac growing in hilly areas and the plant takes up very little space. When the plant turns 2 or 3 years old, it’s transplanted and given more space to grow. This is about the same time period during which the plant reaches its maximum glucomannan levels. Once they’re fully matured, Konjac plants are cleaned and processed for selling and/or consumption. The plant’s underground tuber, called the corm, is harvested for its protein-rich fibre.  It is flavourless but can easily absorb the flavour from spices, herbs and other seasonings.

Konjac corm is used to make several different including:

• Konjac flour: Producers make this by grinding down dry konjac corms to make flour. People can then use this to make noodles.
• Konjac jelly: After further processing, konjac flour can form a jelly or gum. This can serve as an alternative to gelatine, which people can use as a food thickener.
• Konjac soluble fibre: Purifying konjac jelly further turns it into a soluble fibre that serves as a dietary supplement.

Konyakku or Konjaku. This is the Japanese name for konjac

Keto Noodles. One cup of cooked spaghetti noodles made from refined wheat flour typically contains more than 40 grams (g) of carbs and less than 3 g of fibre (at least 37 g of net carbs) per serving. Keto noodles are low which means the net carbs (or carbs minus fibre), are 10 g or less per serving. Slendier Konjac Spaghetti is 11 calories per serve and under 1 gram of carbs.

Glucomannan. The soluble dietary fibre that naturally occurs in the konjac plant. It has several potential health benefits such as diabetes management, weight management, cholesterol, constipation, healthy skin and wound healing.

Preparation of konjac noodles. Slendier always advocates for simplicity! All you need to do is drain the noodles, rinse and they are ready to serve. However, some people like to dry fry the noodles over a medium heat until the liquid evaporates completely (appro 8 minutes). Some people then pour olive oil over the dried noodles.