Traditional Handmade Konjac

Toshiko Tasaki, knows as an expert konjac maker in the town of Takachiho, showed us how to make homemade konjac. Typical konjac is made using dried powder, but in Takachiho, each and every farmer has been making konjac from the konjac plant since ancient times. Each year, fewer and fewer people make konjac regularly, and it is becoming rare to find someone who can, but the process of making konjac, passed down through generations, is of great interest even to younger generations here in Takachiho. Toshiko tells us that she teaches people how to make konjac at local events. Let’s take a look at how konjac is made.

The well-washed konjac potato is put into boiling water and boiled for several hours. The potato has been boiled long enough when a chopstick or toothpick slides in easily. When the potato has been boiled, it is cut into large pieces and soaked in water. The potato has a strong astringency, and can’t be eaten as is. Applying lye (the liquid that floats to the top when ash is added to water) to the potatoes neutralizes the astringency, making the potatoes edible. Smiling, Toshiko says, “the person who came up with this method was really amazing, don’t you think?”

The cut konjac potato pieces are put into a blender with water and liquified. It then turns into a white, thick liquid. You can also add mugwort or yuzu fruit during the blending process, creating a konjac rich in aroma and flavor. Standing next to Toshiko is her grandchild, helping to make the konjac. It seems that Toshiko’s homemade konjac is a big favorite.

After mixing thoroughly, the mixture is moved to a bowl, mixing in air with the hand.

When the mixture has become quite hard, it is rolled into palm-sized balls. The mixture quickly takes on a wonderful meatball shape as Toshiko gently shapes it in her palms. This is a process that takes time to master. She tells me how konjac can have a variety of colors due to the nature of the potato used, from gray to brown.

The boiled konjac is placed in a bamboo basket and cooled with running water to finish!

Konjac made from fresh konjac potatoes can be eaten as is. It has a great texture and the resilience when biting paired with the delicious rich flavor is an emotional experience for me, changing my perception of what konjac is. Toshiko recommends eating konjac with kabosu soy sauce, which is a soy sauce variety with kabosu (a citrus fruit with a rich aroma and sour flavor) juice mixed in. There are many ways to enjoy konjac depending on the season, with a variety of recipes, including eating konjac as sashimi, as onishime (a simmered dish consumed during Takachiho festivals), or in grilled dishes, such as kinpira (“thinly-sliced vegetables”).