What is Konjac Plant?

The konjac plant (Amorphophallus oncophyllus) is a plant that has been known since the Japanese colonial era, but not much cultivation has been carried out by Indonesian people. It is also known as konjac root plant, porang root, or konjac yam. It is a root crop that can be processed into food products containing carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, vitamins, calcium oxalate crystals, alkaloids, and dietary fiber. Glucomannan, which comes from konjac, can be used as a thickening agent to prolong satiety, but it can also cause health problems if consumed directly. Proper processing is needed to relieve itching and bitterness.

Animal feed, a water binder, a thickening agent, a gelling agent, and a low-calorie diet food can all be made from the konjac or porang plant. The Japanese usually process it into konnyaku and shirataki. In addition, konjac plants can be processed into konjac sponge, konjac rice, konjac pasta, konjac noodle, and konjac pearls.