Iron Chef - Konnyaku

From: "Russell Coker" cokerra at bellsouth.net> on 2005.11.18 at 15:26:11(13546) Hi Everyone, I thought I'd add my 2 cents about konnyaku. Back in the mid '80's I lived way out in the country between Nikko and Kanuma in Tochigi Prefecture. As it turns out, A. konjac is a pretty important crop in Gunma, Fukushima and Tochigi Prefectures. One of my best friend's family farmed it exclusively, but I don't ever remember smelling it in bloom - thank God. Can you imagine acres of that stench? In the spring the corms are ground into flour that is kneaded with water and formed into blocks. These blocks are then simmered in some sort of alkaline solution. While the aroma is quite appetizing as it cooks, I found the end product to be just the opposite. The finished konnyaku was a gelatinous glob that is sliced thin and eaten like sashimi or added to other dishes. Honestly, I don't remember any particular taste. It was the texture that, well, grossed me out. It was like chewing on a big piece of gristle and seemed to get bigger with every chew! But in all fairness I was 19 at the time, very new to Japan and I was having a hard time adjusting to a Japanese "country" diet. +More Our konnyaku was extremely popular with the Japanese tourists who bought it up like crazy. It was explained to me that it was very healthy in general, and women especially bought it as an natural weight loss product. My guess was that after a few bites they had just lost their appetites! Russell Coker (new to the list) Mobile, Alabama 8b ----- Original Message ----- To: "'Discussion of aroids'" Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2005 12:34 PM Subject: RE: [Aroid-l] Iron Chef - Amorphophallus konjac Hi Alan, Just think I have been taking expensive high blood pressure medicine when I could have just cooked konnyaku and eaten my surplus A. konjac "potatoes," of which I have lots and lots. I spent some time in Japan and I know about the Japanese preparing meals with A. konjak but no one told me about its medicinal properties. I wonder what my doc would say. I think I'll ask him. Live and learn. George W. George Schmid Hosta Hill R. G. USDA Zone 7a - 1188 feet (361m) AMSL 84-12'-30" W 33-51' N All mail virus-scanned by McAfee -----Original Message----- [mailto:aroid-l-bounces@gizmoworks.com] On Behalf Of Alan Galloway Sent: Wednesday, 16 November, 2005 8:51 To: Aroid-l Subject: [Aroid-l] Iron Chef - Amorphophallus konjac Did anyone see last night's episode of Iron Chef on the Food network? It was a tie breaker competition between 2 chefs with the secret ingredient being konnyaku.....which is processed Amorphophallus konjac tubers. The two chefs created 8 dishes with konnyaku that looked absolutely delicious. I was almost ready to grab my Am. konjac tubers and start boiling them! For more info on konnyaku see: http://www.shakespeare-w.com/english/konnyaku/whatis.html Alan _______________________________________________ Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l _______________________________________________ Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l _______________________________________________ Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

From: Don Martinson llmen at wi.rr.com> on 2005.11.18 at 20:34:29(13548) It was the texture that, well, grossed me out. It was like chewing on a big piece of gristle and seemed to get bigger with every chew! As some may recall, there was a candy product which contained this stuff and was ultimately banned because of a choke hazzard in young children - the stuff wouldn't dissolve! -- Don Martinson +More Milwaukee, Wisconsin Mailto:llmen@wi.rr.com _______________________________________________ Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

From: "Shirley Sommers" scooterbugss at charter.net> on 1970.01.01 at 00:00:00(13551) Hiya Russell ........ from another newbie to the list. Re : the fields of konjac. Do you think it is possible they de-flowered the Konjac ? Otherwise as you said , the stench would be overpowering. That's all for now. I'll go back to lurking. I am new to this aroid addiction .( like I needed another plant addiction ) I suppose it will take awhile before I have anything to contribute. But I am 'here' everyday . Shirley +More _______________________________________________ Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

From: piaba piabinha at yahoo.com> on 2005.11.20 at 20:51:58(13553) --- Don Martinson wrote: > > It was the texture that, well, grossed me out. > It was like > >chewing on a big piece of gristle and seemed to get > bigger with +More > >every chew! > As some may recall, there was a candy product which > contained this > stuff and was ultimately banned because of a choke > hazzard in young > children - the stuff wouldn't dissolve! that is not accurate. the choking hazzard was due to the size of the candy, which is offered in small cups of fruit-flavored jelly. you infidels don't know what's good for you. konnyaku is quite tasty, but then i'm used to it... for example, sliced and sauteed in a curry sauce with other vegetables. as noted, it's a starch and usually made into bricks, but can also be made into noodles. there's a restaurant in NY's chinatown that specializes in konnyaku noodles soups. often referred to as simply "yam," which is unfort. not accurate. i have not tasted paeoniifolius though... i wonder how it tastes different. ========= tsuh yang __________________________________ Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

From: "Julius Boos" ju-bo at msn.com> on 2005.11.21 at 09:45:43(13556) Reply-To : Discussion of aroids Sent : Sunday, November 20, 2005 8:51 PM To : Discussion of aroids Subject : Re: [Aroid-l] Iron Chef - Konnyaku Dear Tsuh yang and Friends, I guess these infidels had better stick to Idaho and Yukon Gold potatoes and turnips! You wondered what A. paeon. tastes like, it is available here in Florida in cans at the Indian Grocery, called 'Suran' or Elephant yam. It USED to be available as whole fresh tubers, but I have not seen them in ages. I hear that it tastes like Dracontium tubers, which taste like a doughy Colocasia! The Best, Julius +More --- Don Martinson wrote: > It was the texture that, well, grossed me out. It was like >chewing on a big piece of gristle and seemed to get bigger with >every chew! As some may recall, there was a candy product which contained this stuff and was ultimately banned because of a choke hazzard in young children - the stuff wouldn't dissolve! that is not accurate. the choking hazzard was due to the size of the candy, which is offered in small cups of fruit-flavored jelly. you infidels don't know what's good for you. konnyaku is quite tasty, but then i'm used to it... for example, sliced and sauteed in a curry sauce with other vegetables. as noted, it's a starch and usually made into bricks, but can also be made into noodles. there's a restaurant in NY's chinatown that specializes in konnyaku noodles soups. often referred to as simply "yam," which is unfort. not accurate. i have not tasted paeoniifolius though... i wonder how it tastes different. ========= tsuh yang __________________________________ Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l _______________________________________________ Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

From: Jason Hernandez mossytrail at earthlink.net> on 1970.01.01 at 00:00:00(13559) >that is not accurate. the choking hazzard was due to >the size of the candy, which is offered in small cups >of fruit-flavored jelly. Small cups of fruit flavored jelly... I wonder if this is the stuff I remember in Taiwan. At our bushiban's Christmas party, we had loads and loads of tiny cups of gelatin, which we teachers would hand out to the kids who won a round of the games we ran. I assumed it was regular gelatin, so I never bothered to check the ingredients (not that I could have read the Chinese characters for konjak). In Taiwan, one can certainly find a great many Japanese products. Jason Hernandez +More Naturalist-at-Large _______________________________________________ Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

From: piaba piabinha at yahoo.com> on 2005.11.22 at 01:13:15(13562) hi jason, > Small cups of fruit flavored jelly... I wonder if > this is the stuff I remember in Taiwan. At our > bushiban's Christmas party, we had loads and loads > of tiny cups of gelatin, which we teachers would > hand out to the kids who won a round of the games we > ran. I assumed it was regular gelatin, so I never > bothered to check the ingredients (not that I could > have read the Chinese characters for konjak). In > Taiwan, one can certainly find a great many Japanese > products. +More probably. konnyaku is not strictly a japanese product, and these cups of jelly with fruit are sold in chinese markets, sometimes with a small square of fruit jelly in the middle. it's just like fruit jelly/gelatin in taste and consistency. as i said, konnyaku noodles are served in soup at a restaurant here in nyc, but they are really cute because they are made as transparent bundles of tied noodles, knotted. oh yeah, if you are into japanese cuisine, there's nothing like warm oden stew in the winter... http://japanesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa011402a.htm btw, what's a bushiban? ========= tsuh yang __________________________________ Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

From: Susan B honeybunny442 at yahoo.com> on 2005.11.22 at 02:33:35(13563) The small cups of fruit flavored jelly hold a square piece of almost flavorless konjac (or what I always assumed was the konjac part). You can see a photo of it here: http://www.acresofaroids.com/images/A_konjac_candy_with_fruit_jelly.jpg There is also a small amount of juice in the cup, which usually squirts out at you when you peel off the foil cover. Susan Yahoo! FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click. _______________________________________________ +More Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

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