How to Make Konjac Tasty
Simplified, konjac is made from konjac powder. The process of making konjac is simple: first, grind the spherical root of konjac into powder, then add water to form a gel-like substance, and finally add alkaline substances like slaked lime to make it solidify. There are many ways to prepare konjac, and they are all quite simple. It also has low calories, making it suitable for people on a diet.
In the 1950s, an Indian scholar once said, "If there is a crop that has not yet received enough attention from people, it is konjac."
Why is it called konjac, how is it made, and why did it pique the interest of scholars so much? Let's find out more about this overlooked delicacy together.
Konjac is the general term for the genus Amorphophallus in the Araceae family. It belongs to a large category, with 163 species in this genus, 21 of which are found in China. Not many of them are edible, with the two most common types being the flowering konjac (konnyaku) and white konjac.
The history of cultivating konjac in our country can be traced back to 3000 years ago. This can be found in "The Ode to Shu": "Its gardens have konjac and Sichuan pepper, melon fields and taro plots. Konjac is a plant, and its root is called taro, the large ones are as big as a pot, the flesh is pure white, and it can be boiled with lye water to solidify, or pickled in bitter wine, which the people of Shu treasure."
This konjac is what we refer to today, and it was not originally called konjac.
What is Konjac Made Of and Why is it Called Konjac?
"The Compendium of Materia Medica" gives us the answer: "Konjac comes from Sichuan, and it is also found in Shizhou... After the autumn, the roots are harvested, cleaned, or mashed into pieces, boiled in strong lye water for about twenty minutes, washed in water, changed and boiled again several times, and it becomes a jelly. Slice it, soak in bitter wine, season with five spices, and if not cooked with lye water, it won't solidify. Cut it into thin threads, blanch in boiling water, season with five spices, and it looks like jellyfish noodles."
In the autumn, dig out the roots of konjac, wash them clean, mash them into pieces, boil them in wood ash water for about twenty minutes, wash in water, change the water and boil again, after about half an hour, they solidify into konjac tofu.
You can slice it and eat it by soaking in bitter wine, or season it with salt, chili, etc. If not cooked with wood ash, konjac tofu cannot be made. You can also cut it into threads and then cook it.
Nowadays, konjac is no longer made with wood ash but directly with edible alkali, which is much more convenient.
Handmade Konjac Making Method
Konjac can be made with purchased konjac powder or fresh konjac. Today, I will share with you the process of making konjac noodles using konjac powder from our family.
Ingredients: Cleaned konjac, stove ash. First, soak the konjac in clean water, then wash the surface with a brush.
1. Prepare the stove ash water by mixing stove ash with water and separating the ash and water with a sieve to prepare lime water.
2. Soak lime in water in a separate basin and let it ferment for about 10 hours before removing it.
3. Gradually add the separated stove ash water to the lime water.
4. Start scraping the konjac into the basin, stirring while scraping. Mix well, flatten it, and wait for about six hours for it to set evenly in the basin.
5. Cut it open and place it in a pot to heat with stove ash water and lime water.
6. The konjac in the pot turns from light gray to dark. After removing the konjac, soak it in water to finish.
Konjac can be made into soup or used in hot pot. If you like spicy food, we can make spicy konjac noodles, which are bouncy and chewy.
The above is the handmade konjac making method and process, as well as related information on how to make konjac tasty, hoping it is helpful to you!