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(Amorphophallus konjack) A perennial plant
that has been used in China and Japan for over 2,000 years. The starchy
tuber, a member of the yam family, is not unlike taro, hence its Chinese
name mo yu, which means 'devil's taro'. In Japan it is known as 'devil's
tongue' or konnyaku. Through a complicated process similar to the making
of tofu, the large brown roots are peeled, boiled, mashed and then mixed
with dissolved limestone to coagulate.
The resultant mass is formed into
rectangular blocks - strangely gelatinous and a speckled grey color. It
should be parboiled to remove excess lime and to make the texture
chewier before including in a recipe. Konnyaku is used primarily as a
texture ingredient, with not much flavor but a uniquely chewy,
gelatinous texture.
In China there is a darker colored version
of konnyaku, already seasoned, sold as 'black bean curd'. Cut into
strips then boiled briefly to remove excess lime, it is added to a
number of Szechwan dishes. 'Snowed' black bean curd simply means it has
been frozen, which changes the texture, making it chewier and porous,
like frozen tofu.
In Japan, konnyaku comes both in a 'black'
and 'white' form. The 'black' is the natural state; 'white' (which is
really more a pale grey) has been filtered and bleached. Sold as small
rectangular slabs, it will keep for a while. It is popular in soups,
stews and, cut in large triangles, in oden and one-pot cookery.
Starch from the same plant is refined to
make the Japanese noodles known as shirataki, literally 'white
waterfall'. This is an apt description as the cooked noodles are
transparent and white. The thicker version of konnyaku noodle, called
ito, literally 'string' konnyaku, is available both in natural and
refined (white) forms. Sometimes a dozen strands of konnyaku are wound
around the fingers into a little bundle and tied in the middle with a
single strand. This adds texture as well as an attractive garnish to a
bowl of broth. Sometimes fresh konnyaku or konnyaku noodles are
available, packed in water, like fresh bean curd. Because of its unusual
texture, devil's tongue, in any form, can be an acquired taste.
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