Shirataki noodles
Thin, translucent noodles made from konjac root – almost neutral in flavour, with a firm, slippery, springy bite.
Shirataki are fine noodles made from the flour of the konjac corm, set into a firm gel with water and a little limewater. They taste of very little themselves but take on broth and sauce well, which is why they are used mainly in hot pots such as sukiyaki and in simmered dishes. Their texture is rubbery and springy and holds up even through long cooking, so they never soften the way wheat or rice noodles do. They are usually sold packed in water in pouches and smell faintly fishy from the liquid when opened; a quick rinse and a brief blanch removes the smell. You can find them at Asian grocers, chilled or shelf-stable, and increasingly as konjac noodles in supermarkets, health food shops or by mail order.
Substitute:
There is no true substitute, since no other noodle has that firm, slippery bite. Glass noodles made from mung bean starch come closest in appearance and work in hot pots, but they absorb more liquid, turn softer and break down more readily with long cooking.