●Japanese healthy jelly noodle "Tokoroten noodles"

Tokoroten is a food made by boiling and dissolving the seaweed Tengusa as a raw ingredient, pouring it into a mold and molding it.
Japanese supermarkets sell them all year round, but summer is the time when the number of sales and purchases is the highest. Because it has a jelly-like texture and a refreshing taste.
It's the perfect food for hot summer days. In addition, it has almost no calories, so it is a very healthy food that is perfect for dieting.
Tengusa, which is the raw ingredient, can be harvested almost all over Japan, but in general, the quantity and quality of the Pacific coast is said to be higher.
When this agar-agar is boiled with water, a component that becomes a thick tokoroten ingredient comes out. (Even if you keep boiling, the agar-agar won't melt away.)

How to make Tokoroten

Pour the muddy tokoroten into a large mold.
In the old-fashioned manufacturing method, it hardens slowly at room temperature.
This solidified tokoroten base is thinly protruded with a “tokoroten piercing” to make a genuine, real tokoroten.

Tokoroten ingredients

Tokoroten is made from seaweed such as Tengusa and Gracilaria. Tokoroten is made by simmering sun-dried Tengusa in hot water and then cooling and hardening it.

Tokoroten calories and nutrition

We will introduce the calories and nutrition contained in tokoroten.
Tokoroten, the calories and nutrients contained per 100g are as follows.
・Calories: 2kcal
・Carbohydrates…0.6g
・Protein…0.2g
・Sugar…0g
・Fat…0g

Looking at the nutritional content, Tokoroten does not seem to contain any sugar or fat.

Dietary fiber

Tokoroten, the dietary fiber contained per 100g is as follows.

・Dietary fiber…0.6g

Dietary fiber, which is one of the nutrients contained in food, is a nutrient that can't be decomposed by the digestive enzymes held in the human body. It's attracting attention as the "sixth nutrient" because it has useful functions such as intestinal regulation in the body.

Effect and efficacy of Tokoroten

Suppresses rise in blood sugar level

Tokoroten contains plenty of water-soluble dietary fiber, and this component has the effect of slowing down the absorption speed of nutrients. Therefore, it is effective in suppressing the rise in blood sugar level after meals. Maintaining normal blood sugar levels can help prevent many diseases such as diabetes.

regulate the intestinal environment

In addition to soluble dietary fiber, tokoroten also contains insoluble dietary fiber that regulates the intestinal environment. This insoluble dietary fiber swells in the body, gently stimulates the intestines, traps waste products, and supports the smooth discharge of stools. It is said that even people who tend to be constipated, eating tokoroten will make their bowel movements more active.

Difference between tokoroten and agar

They are made from the same kind of raw ingredient, but the only difference is the manufacturing method, so it isn't well known to the general public. Broadly speaking, first, tokoroten is made and then agar is made.

Tokoroten contains a lot of sea minerals, but agar contains none. On the other hand, many people don't like tokoroten because of the lingering scent of the seashore, but agar has almost no smell, so it is accepted by everyone and can be used for cooking and sweets.

Finishing of Tokoroten

After boiling Tengusa, it is cooled and solidified to make Tokoroten soft and fluffy.

Tokoroten aroma and taste

Tokoroten has a slight the scent of the seashore. Furthermore, if you eat it as it is, it will not taste. It's tasteless and odorless!

How to eat Tokoroten

Tokoroten is often eaten with vinegar and soy sauce, but there are regional ways to eat it, such as katsuobushi, shichimi, mustard, and yuzu.

Also, in the Kansai area, it is sometimes eaten as a snack with black honey. Kuzukiri was eaten with black syrup in the Nara period, so it seems that tokoroten also came to be eaten with black syrup, which has a similar texture.