Amorphophallus konjac has strong adaptability to climate and soil, low planting cost, simple management, easy cultivation and processing, wide edible, medicinal and industrial uses, low cost and high economic benefits, and is being deeply studied, developed and widely used.
Konjac is a big family, with about 130 species in the world and more than 30 species in China, which are widely distributed in the southwest and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Originally wild, it has been introduced and improved into cultivated plants, and its economic value and quality have been greatly improved.
Amorphophallus konjac is the only cash crop that can provide glucomannan in large quantities, which shows a wide application prospect in food, medicine, printing and dyeing, oil drilling and other industries. With the development of science and technology, the application value of konjac will be continuously developed and displayed.
The edible value of konjac is the main reason why it is widely welcomed by people and has a long planting history. At present, the biggest consumption of konjac is eating. The main component of konjac is glucomannan, which not only contains 10 kinds of amino acids and trace elements needed by human body, but also has the characteristics of low protein, low fat, high fiber, strong water absorption and high expansion rate. It can be used as the main and auxiliary materials of bionic vegetarian food, konjac jelly, ice cream, puffed ice cream, ham sausage, candy, milk, flour products, beverages and other products, and can also be directly made into various foods.
Glucomannan is widely used as a food additive because of its good water solubility, gelation, water retention, excipient, suspension, stability, film-forming, adhesion, high purity, good transparency, no odor, high viscosity, large expansion coefficient, rapid dissolution and strong compatibility. Glucomannan is also an excellent dietary fiber, which can be made into very popular functional food. At the same time, glucomannan is also an efficient and economical natural fruit preservative.
The medicinal value of konjac is also very high. Has the effects of reducing blood fat, blood sugar and blood pressure, losing weight, caring skin, promoting health, and relaxing bowels. Amorphophallus konjac is widely used in industry.