What Does Konjac Look Like? Benefits, Effects, and How to Make Konjac Tofu

Konjac, commonly known as moyu, is also called moyu, ruotou, ghost taro, huagenglian, and tiger palm. It grows under sparse forests and is a beneficial alkaline food.So what does konjac look like? What benefits and effects does it have? How is it made into konjac tofu?

What does konjac look like?

1. The underground corm of konjac is oblate, large, with a thick cylindrical petiole, light green, with dark purple spots, palmately compound leaves, and white inside.

The plant height is about 40-70 cm, with a corm underground. Each plant grows only one leaf, a pinnately compound leaf. The petiole is thick and long like a stem. The flowers are purplish red and have a foul odor. The underground corm is round.

2. Konjac can also be divided into white konjac and flower konjac. Konjac is the corm of a perennial herbaceous plant in the genus Amorphophallus of the family Araceae, and it is widely distributed in China. China has 18 varieties of konjac, and 5 have medicinal value: konjac, Amorphophallus sinensis, Amorphophallus nanse A., Amorphophallus dunnii, and Amorphophallus paeoniifolius. The pharmacologically active substance is the heteropolysaccharide konjac glucomannan (KGM) extracted from the konjac corm. Because KGM has water absorption, gelation, binding, and low-calorie edible properties, it is widely used in food processing, daily chemicals, and health products.

What benefits and effects does konjac have?

1. Detoxification and bowel movement

Konjac is cold in nature and can promote blood circulation and resolve blood stasis, detoxify and reduce swelling, and relax the intestines and promote bowel movement. The dietary fiber in konjac can promote gastrointestinal peristalsis, remove accumulated fat in the intestines, help toxic substances be excreted from the body, moisten the intestines and promote bowel movement, and detoxify and cleanse the stomach.

2. Lowering blood lipids and blood sugar

The glucomannan in konjac can prevent the body from digesting and absorbing cholesterol, thereby producing a good blood lipid-lowering effect; and the large amount of water-soluble fiber contained in konjac can absorb sugars when entering the stomach, directly enter the small intestine, inhibit sugar absorption in the small intestine, effectively lower postprandial blood sugar, thereby reducing the burden on the pancreas, keeping glucose metabolism in diabetic patients in a virtuous cycle, and maintaining blood sugar values within a certain range.

3. Anti-cancer and cancer prevention

Konjac has the laudatory title of “anti-cancer magic garment.” It contains a gel-like chemical substance with the miraculous power of fighting and preventing cancer. After this gel substance enters the human body, it can form a translucent magic garment that attaches to the intestinal wall, blocks various harmful substances, and has anti-cancer and cancer-preventing effects.

4. Preservation and antibacterial action

Konjac contains a natural antibiotic. In foods made with konjac refined powder and other ingredients, konjac can form an antibacterial film on the food surface, prevent bacterial contamination, extend storage time, and play a role in preservation and antibacterial protection.

5. Lowering cholesterol

Konjac glucomannan can effectively inhibit the small intestine's absorption of cholesterol, bile acids, and other fat-decomposing substances, promote the excretion of fat from the body, reduce total triglycerides and cholesterol in serum, and prevent arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

6. Promoting blood circulation, resolving stasis, and relieving pain

Konjac has a warming effect, is pungent and warm in nature and flavor, and has the effect of promoting blood flow and preventing bruising and swelling. In ancient folk remedies, konjac was made into material for warming cloths to treat stomach pain and shoulder soreness. Wrapping steamed konjac in a towel and placing it on the affected area can relieve pain.

7. Relieving hunger and aiding weight loss

Konjac is a low-calorie food. The glucomannan it contains absorbs water and expands, increasing to 30-100 times its original volume, so there is a feeling of fullness after eating. It can be used to treat diabetes and is also an ideal weight-loss food.

8. Cleaning the stomach wall

Konjac contains a large amount of soluble plant fiber, promotes gastrointestinal peristalsis, can reduce the retention time of harmful substances in the gastrointestinal tract and gallbladder, effectively protect the gastric mucosa, and clean the stomach wall.

9. Calcium supplementation

100 grams of natural konjac food contains about 43 mg of calcium. More importantly, the calcium it contains is very easily dissolved and absorbed by the human body. This calcium-rich excellent product should also be a first choice for calcium supplementation.

10. Improving immunity

Konjac can improve the body's immunity. The mannan anhydride it contains has an interfering effect on cancer cell metabolism, and the excellent dietary fiber it contains can stimulate the body to produce a substance that kills cancer cells.

How is konjac made into konjac tofu?

1. Selecting konjac: Choose fresh konjac with a smooth, tender surface, short terminal bud, no insect holes, and no rot.

2. Cleaning: The selected fresh konjac must have the soil, fibrous roots, stems, and terminal buds on the surface removed, and a brush should be used to scrub the entire konjac clean.

3. Peeling: Use a blade to remove the outer skin of the cleaned konjac. Peel lightly, so that the white tender flesh is exposed.

4. Preparing the grinding water: Because fresh konjac corms contain toxins, they can only be removed with alkaline water. Before grinding, prepare alkaline grinding water. The grinding water can use 5% limewater, 10% pure plant ash water, or 1% edible alkaline water (that is, 1 kg of edible alkali dissolved in 100 kg of water).

5. Grinding: In the past, the most common method was to use a grater made from the bark of an old winter melon tree, or a metal grater made of iron sheet. Rub the peeled konjac back and forth on the grater, adding the prepared grinding water while rubbing. The grinding water is 1-2 times the amount of konjac. The finer the slurry is ground, the better. Now a grinder is also used, but before grinding, the konjac should be chopped. The ratio of grinding water is the same as for grinding with a bark grater or iron grater. Konjac tofu ground with a grater made from old winter melon tree bark has the best taste.

6. Pressing (pressing the block): The ground slurry must be pressed (pressed into a block) in time, so that after a long time it does not become yellow or red due to air oxidation, reduce coagulability, and affect the quality of the konjac slurry. Pressing (pressing the block) method: Use wooden boards to nail together a square box that can be assembled and disassembled, without a lid. The specifications of the box can be 1 m long, 0.8 m wide, and 0.1 m high. If a larger one is needed, just lengthen the length and width; otherwise, shorten them a little. Put the ground konjac slurry into the box, press down forcefully with an iron shovel so that the konjac slurry closely adheres, and after pressing tightly, use a knife to cut it into small squares. One box can be cut into about 80 pieces of konjac tofu.

7. Cooking: Put the pressed and formed konjac tofu pieces in a pot, add clear water, with the clear water preferably covering the tofu pieces, and cook over high heat until done. But during cooking, turn them once every 4-5 minutes to prevent sticking to the pot and burning. It takes about 1 hour to cook, and it is best when all the konjac tofu is cooked.

8. Rinsing: Rinse the cooked konjac tofu pieces with clear water 3-5 times to completely remove the alkaline water from the konjac tofu pieces before they can be eaten. Generally, change the water once every 12-24 hours. The more times it is rinsed, the better the quality, and white and tender color is best. Place the prepared konjac tofu pieces in a water-holding container and soak them submerged in clear water. Change the clear water once every 24 hours. After 4-5 days, return them to the pot and boil for about half an hour. They can be stored for about 2 months without spoiling. During storage, be sure to change the water on time and return them to the pot to boil on time.