Today I planted two konjac in the garden. One I got from Ken and the other one from Shinobu. I was initially surprised to find out that it is an Amorphophallus, related to the corpse flower. It produces a smelly flower too but it doesn’t get as big as the titan arum.
Konjac also produces a tuber that the Japanese love to eat. It’s called konnyaku and it is processed and formed into blocks like tofu and the texture is like a chewy jello and it doesn’t really have a flavor. I didn’t particularly enjoy eating konnyaku while growing up. I would find it in my miso soup, nishime, oden and even just cold sliced like sashimi. Shirataki noodles in sukiyaki is made from konnyaku too. I don’t really mind eating it these days.
Konnyaku is one of those Asian health food secrets you don’t really hear a lot about. It normalizes cholesterol levels, prevents high blood pressure and diabetes, has no fat and no calories, it is full of dietary fibers and minerals and it is an alkaline food. So if you need to get those bowels moving then eat konnyaku!
Originally posted on 2021-11-09, part of the daily planting journal behind Ha’a Chocolate’s food forest on Hawai’i Island.