Shirataki Noodles

May 12, 2008

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Shirataki are a type of noodle that have moderate fiber, and are low in carbohydrates and calories. They, and related products, have been available in the East for many years but have only gained popularity in the West recently.

They are becoming popular with those on low carb diets and calorie-restricted diets. An 8 oz package of House Foods Shirataki Fettuccine is listed as having two servings. Each serving has 20 calories, 3 g total carbohydrate (0 g sugars), 2 g fiber, 1g protein and 15 mg sodium. As is often the case the serving size is quite small, but even eating the whole package would have only 40 calories and 6 g total carbohydrate.

The noodles contain oriental “yam”. These yams are not related to those found in a western supermarket, but are Amorphophallus konjac *, commonly called konjac. Some of the local names are quite colorful and include elephant yam, devil’s tongue, snake palm and voodoo lily *.

Konjac is grown predominantly in Korea, China and Japan and is very high in fiber and is high in glucomannan, which is a polysaccharide that is used as a jelly and thickening agent. The most commonly available noodles in the US, including the ones described above, contain some tofu too. The tofu makes the noodles more similar to regular wheat noodles in texture and adds the protein and some of the carbohydrate.

The noodles are found in the chill cabinet at the supermarket, often in the natural/vegetarian section. The noodles are already cooked, so they just need to have the storage liquid washed away, and then be heated through, usually in the microwave. They are pretty tasteless so go well with any source. Currently they are a little pricey (about $1.80 per small pack), but as they gain popularity and there is more competition the price is sure to drop.

Give them a try.

{{* Amorphophallus and some of the local names are certainly an interesting. They are descriptive of the plant - but not the tuber(root) instead the flower (inflorescence). Amorphophallus means shapeless phallus. A plant in the same genus is Amorphophallus titanium is also called the corpse plant. This plant blooms infrequently and quickly, and the flower really smells bad hence the name. Check out the VA Tech website for pictures and other info.}}

photo credit: miheco

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Written by Judith · Filed Under Life, Weekly Product

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One Response to “Shirataki Noodles”

Another Reason To Eat Fiber: Less Food Poisoning : Life, aging and… on August 7th, 2008 12:58 pm

[…] types of fiber for most of the strains were sesame seed extract and konjac gum. (See the post about Shirataki Noodles to read about konjac.) Other sources of fiber that bound well to many of the strains were tomato, […]

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