konjac

noun

kon·​jac ˈkän-ˌjak 

variants or less commonly konjak

plural konjacs also konjaks

: a perennial plant (Amorphophallus konjac synonym A. rivieri) of the arum family grown throughout East and Southeast Asia for its large starchy corms

Konjacs will go dormant during the winter, but can grow year-round in a temperate climate. … After five days, when the konjac is finished blooming, it will fade away and quickly collapse.

—Katelyn Aluise

also : the dried corm of the konjac that is ground or powdered especially to make flour or gelatin or for use as a dietary supplement

To make the noodles … , the konjac is made into a flour that gets mixed with still water (see still water sense 2) and lime water, which is a solution of calcium hydroxide that helps hold the mixture together …

—Linnea Covington

Made with konjac powder, nori, and more plant-based ingredients, you can be satisfied that this vegan shrimp will taste like the real thing.

—Charlotte Pointing

Dinner is a tofu and vegetable curry with konjac rice …

—Linda Maher

Examples of konjac in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Shirataki noodles, made from the flour of konjac, a root vegetable, offer a satisfying alternative to traditional wheat noodles and are very low in carbohydrates and calories. —Yakir Levy, Oc Register, 2 Apr. 2025

Made from konjac jelly, this turns collagen and vitamin C into a sweet treat substitute for sugary snacks. —Kiana Murden, Vogue, 14 Mar. 2025

Konjac Rice Konjac rice (also known as shirataki rice) is a rice alternative made from the roots of the konjac plant. —Jillian Kubala, Health, 1 Oct. 2024

However, many people take konjac glucomannan supplements to reap the tuber's health benefits. —Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, Rdn, Ld, Health, 9 Sep. 2024

Still, there is no current regulatory standard for konjac intake. —Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, Rdn, Ld, Health, 9 Sep. 2024

The principal ingredient in appetite suppressant products, glucomannan is a dietary fiber that comes from the root of the East Asian konjac plant. —Norcal Marketing, Chron, 4 Feb. 2021

Ingredients in Instant Knockout Glucomannan - Glucomannan is a dietary fiber derived from the root of the konjac plant. —Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 5 Oct. 2023

This serum also contains natural soothers like konjac root, chamomile, and clary sage to balance the skin’s pH and further prevent potential irritation. —Kayla Blanton, Verywell Health, 22 Sep. 2023

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Japanese konnyaku

Note: The spelling konjac follows that of the Latin name of the plant, Amorphophallus konjac, earlier Arisaema konjac, given it by the German botanist Philipp Franz von Siebold (1796-1866), who collected a specimen during his six-year sojourn in Japan (1823-29) and brought it back to Europe. The genus was changed from Arisaema to Amorphophallus by the botanist Karl Koch at a meeting of the Verein für Beförderung des Gartenbaues in Berlin ("Society for the Promotion of Horticulture in Berlin")—see Berliner allgemeine Gartenzeitung, No. 21, May 22, 1858, p. 166.

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above