Meaning & use
konjac
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
An Asian plant with a large root, or the jelly-like food made from that root.
Grammar: When talking about the food substance, it is uncountable: 'konjac is used in noodles.' The plant itself can be countable: 'a konjac grows...'
Patterns
- konjac noodles
- konjac flour
- konjac jelly
Konjac is a popular ingredient in low-calorie noodles in Asia.
The recipe uses konjac flour to make a firm, chewy jelly.
Farmers in southern China grow konjac on hillside fields.
nouncountablebiology
A plant of the arum family, grown for its edible root.
Grammar: As a plant, it can be countable: 'a konjac', 'two konjacs'. In everyday talk, people usually mean the food, not the plant.
Patterns
- a konjac plant
- grow konjac
A konjac plant has a large, starchy root that is harvested in autumn.
The konjac grows well in warm, wet climates.
Word forms
| plural | konjacs |
|---|
Common combinations
- konjac noodles
- I bought a pack of konjac noodles for a light lunch.
- konjac flour
- Konjac flour thickens the soup without adding many calories.
- konjac jelly
- Konjac jelly is a common snack in some Asian countries.
- konjac root
- The konjac root is dried and ground into powder.
Synonyms and how they differ
- konnyaku
- The Japanese name for the same food; it is used in English mainly in Japanese cooking contexts.
- elephant yam
- A common English name for the plant, though it can also refer to related species.
Commonly confused: konjac or konnyaku?
konjac vs konnyaku
This is the Japanese word for the same food. 'Konjac' is the more international spelling, while 'konnyaku' appears mostly on Japanese menus.
Practice
What is konjac?
Choose one answer.
Konjac is a plant from Asia, and its root is made into a jelly-like food such as noodles. It is not a tea, a city, or a type of rice.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “konjac”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.