魔芋 (móyù) · konjac, konnyaku

Measure Word

一块魔芋 kuài

Meanings

1 konjac
2 konnyaku
3 devil's tongue (Amorphophallus konjac)

About the ingredient

蔬菜 Vegetables

The corm is toxic raw, so it reaches kitchens processed into grey, springy blocks and noodles with almost no taste of their own, which soak up the flavour of hotpot broth and Sichuan-style dishes.

Also called 蒟蒻

Characters

Examples

HSK 7-9

魔芋热量很低，是减肥的好食材。

Móyù rèliàng hěn dī, shì jiǎnféi de hǎo shícái.

Konjac is low in calories and a great ingredient for weight loss.

HSK 7-9

四川人喜欢用魔芋做麻辣火锅。

Sìchuān rén xǐhuan yòng móyù zuò málà huǒguō.

Sichuan people love using konjac in spicy hotpot.

Tips

culture

魔芋 yields a tuber processed into the gelatinous food known in Japanese as konnyaku (蒟蒻). Popular in Sichuan cuisine and as a low-calorie noodle (魔芋丝, móyùsī) in modern dieting.

memory

Literally 'demon taro' - 魔 (mó, demon) + 芋 (yù, taro). The plant's giant flower has a strong odor, and the rubbery texture of the food really does feel a bit otherworldly.