Shirataki Noodle History
The Different Japanese Diet Noodles
How Shirataki Noodles Are Made
Noodles, hot and cold, play a very important part in the Japanese diet. Soba, udon, and ramen are perhaps the three most popular noodles served on the Japanese families' tables. These three types of noodles are served hot seasoned with broth, or plain and cold. Most Japanese ramen noodles are made from salt water, wheat flour, kansui, and water. Kansui is the most popular alkaline mineral water in Japan. Its name was derived from Lake Kan found in Inner Mongolia. Lake Kan has the right amount of minerals perfect for making ramen. Soba is from wheat flour and buckwheat while udon is made from wheat flour. Now, you are probably wondering why it's very rare to see fat or overweight Japanese when these noodles, which are a staple meal for Japanese people, are made from carbohydrate-rich flour (buckwheat and wheat flour). Believe it or not but ancient Japanese consider these noodles as their diet noodles! How come?
We all know that Japan has a very rich culture. This includes the Japanese food culture which has greatly evolved over millennia, from their prehistoric Jomon culture down to their contemporary hybrid culture, which is already a combination of Asian, European, and North American influences. After several influx of immigration from the Asian continent and neighboring Pacific islands, Japanese inhabitants experienced a very long period of isolation under the Tokugawa shogunate. This was when the important role of Japanese diet noodles came into the picture.
Because it was very below-average families to obtain the key ingredients to their dishes, they had to make their local noodles work. As this went on, Japanese realized that noodles could actually fill them up for a long period of time. They didn't need to have other meals, as opposed to what they had been accustomed to, because the noodles alone were enough to suppress their appetite and fight their hunger pangs.
Of course, today, noodles are considered as high-carb foods, simply because these noodles contain high carbohydrate content, which was the reason why Japanese could go on having only one or two meals in a day. They had enough carbs and calories to use for the whole day's work, without the need to have other meals or dishes. They started calling these noodles their diet noodles, because a bowl or two of these diet noodles is enough to keep them energized without gaining extra weight.
However, with the evolution of the Japanese culture, plus the influence of other cultures, other dishes were introduced to the Japanese table, making these diet noodles a staple food paired with other dishes. Of course, the effect is no longer the same. They get more calories and carbs; hence, noodles are no longer considered as food for diet. Nevertheless, science has led to the discovery of newer foods and today, we have the new generation diet noodles in the form of Shirataki noodles. Shirataki noodles are indeed diet noodles because these have nearly zero carbohydrate, no calories, yet rich in fiber and protein. Thus, if you want to go on a diet, the best food to eat is the Shirataki noodle - the diet noodle!
