Konjac powder is made from the dried, ground corm (the underground stem) of the konjac plant, Amorphophallus konjac, grown across East and Southeast Asia. Its main component is glucomannan, a soluble fibre that absorbs a great deal of water and forms a firm, elastic gel. As an additive it is listed as konjac gum or konjac glucomannan, INS 425.
Konjac has almost no taste of its own, so in snacks it is all about texture. It is often blended with carrageenan, the seaweed-based gelling agent: carrageenan gives a clear, smooth set, and konjac adds bounce and chew. The Sunsu Jelly Carrageenan Mixed Konyakku, Apple and Orange flavour is built on exactly that pairing, with sugar.
Firm konjac gels do not dissolve quickly in the mouth. After choking incidents linked to small cup jellies, the EU stopped permitting konjac in jelly confectionery, including jelly mini-cups. Konjac itself is not one of the major allergens.
