Pasta Zero Fettuccine Shaped Shirataki by Nasoya — kyu's Review (Jan 1, 2024)

I grew up eating loads of konnyaku/yam cake (it was one of my favorite foods,) so I was very excited to try these #noodles. They’re much thicker than the konnyaku noodles my grandma used to buy from the Japanese market for sukiyaki, which opens up a range of new culinary possibilities. I think #shirataki is technically marketed as a #lowcarb/weight-loss food, since it has essentially no nutritional value; I had a poor experience with #konjac-based diet noodles in the past (Kibun’s Healthy Noodle) and wasn’t anxious to repeat that. However, squishing the noodles around in their bag convinced me of their QQ-quality, so I brought them home.

I feel like Nasoya has truly made an effort to appeal to the masses by creating a recipe that’s as neutral and inoffensive as possible. Though the noodles have that slightly fishy smell straight out of the bag, they are functionally flavorless — no discernible aftertaste at all. And, of course, they have that very fun #chewy, springy, almost crunchy(?) texture.

I boiled them for a few minutes in ramen broth, which was good, but I think the best use would be — hear me out — vegan jellyfish salad! I haven’t seen any recipe blogs suggest using this to recreate that particular Chinese cold dish, and I genuinely think it would work amazingly. (If this is common knowledge already, please enlighten me, haha.) I feel like the noodles would be best used in Asian-style dishes . . . I personally wouldn’t substitute them in place of, say, pasta, but I suppose it could be worth trying.

The price is somewhat lofty for what it is, so I’ll probably stick to regular konnyaku from the Japanese supermarket, but I wouldn’t mind repurchasing occasionally at a discounted price. The fettuccine isn’t sold anywhere near me anymore (I can only find the thinner spaghetti,) so if anyone does try vegan jellyfish salad, do let me know how it turns out!