Have you heard of Konnyaku?

Konnyaku (蒟蒻) is also known as “konjac, konjaku, devil’s tongue, voodoo lily, snake palm, or elephant yam”. (Can anyone tell why so many eerie nicknames? ). It is a natural food made from a type of mountain potato mixed with calcium hydroxide or calcium oxide extracted from eggshells.

It is a traditional Japanese health food and has been consumed for over 2000 years. It appears in many dishes in Japanese cuisine such as oden, sukiyaki and sashimi. Besides that, it is also widely used as a substitute for gelatin in making jelly dessert.

Konnyaku has no fat, low in calories and rich in dietary fiber. Hence, it can bring us many excellent health benefits as below:
a)      normalize cholesterol level.
b)      control sugar level in blood for diabetes.
c)      prevent high blood pressure.
d)      clean toxin in the intestines and prevent intestinal cancer
e)      ideal for weight control as it expands in the digestive system and gives the feeling that the stomach is full.

Apart from its nutritional value, Konnyaku jelly yields a firmer and springier texture compared to normal jelly. Because of these two signature qualities, it caught on fast to become a popular household choice for healthy snack after it was first introduced to Singapore and Malaysia about one decade ago.

You can find Konnyaku jelly moulds of different types and shapes as shown in the photo below. As for preparing Konnyaku deserts, it’s idiot proof. You only need to follow the simple manufacturer’s instruction on the packaging of the Konnyaku powder, and adding on fresh or canned fruits of your own liking.  Properly supervised, even a kid can do it!

However, parents and caretakers should be aware that jelly products containing Konnyaku may pose choking hazards as it is extremely difficult to remove if it gets stuck down the throat. Thus, it is not suitable to serve children below 4 years old and the elderly. Even for older kids and adults alike, to prevent getting choked unnecessarily, it is recommended that the jelly be first cut or bite into smaller pieces and chewed properly before swallowing.  

I like to share this jelly desert recipe with you because it uses Konnyaku, a not-to-be missed super food. This recipe is also made mostly of fruits juice and fresh fruits. I only used a little bit of sugar for this recipe to suit my personal palate. You can adjust the amount according to your preference. It is also not necessarily to use any special Konnyaku jelly moulds to make these jellies. However, they are great for presenting attractive and cute looking jellies to your kids.

This homemade jelly may not be one of the healthiest snacks, but it is definitely a healthier version compared to those bought off the shelf in the store that comes with preservative and colouring additives. I bet this delicious jelly, when served chilled, would be a cool treat that can surely cheer your little ones up during this hot weather.

Suggested reading references for Konnyaku:
- http://www.shakespeare-w.com/english/konnyaku/whatis.html
- http://www.konnyaku.com/e_data/konnyaku.html

Konnyaku jelly cooking video clip by Phoon Huat:
- http://www.phoonhuat.com/special.htm

>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for Konnyaku jelly recipe………………………

My son loves a variety of fruits, be it sweet or slightly sour. Does that mean he is not picky about fruits? Not really. In fact, he can be outright picky. He clearly likes some (a lot) and dislikes many as well. One particular fruit that is near to the bottom of his preferred list is Chinese pear, especially when served as freshly cuts. He would only take one small bite and give me the standard “Mummy, I’m full” excuse. “Sweet talking” him to try a few more cuts didn’t work, and I have been scratching my head on how to entice him to like Chinese pear until I almost give up and hope for miracle.

Sometimes a better answer lies in approaching a problem indirectly, which brings me to try out this Chinese “osmanthus poached pear” sweet dessert soup. When I made it for the first time, to my surprise, my son finished an entire bowl of the soup including the poached Chinese pear!  He loved the soft and smooth texture of the poached pear just like the softened apple in his favourite apple soup. Don’t you think that kids’ taste bud is so unpredictable? Hmm! So, by thinking laterally, you don’t really need to wait for a miracle to happen. And, I was persistent enough to be answered.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, pear is capable to remove excess body heat, moisten throat and lungs, and help relieves cough and clear phlegm. Hence, you will find poaching or boiling pear soup quite common among Chinese households. But I find it interesting and unique to use dried osmanthus flowers (桂花) in poaching pears as these yellow tiny dried flowers are more commonly used to infuse tea and in making Chinese desserts (such as osmanthus jelly).

I find the overall taste of this sweet dessert soup incredibly fragrant with the infused scent of osmanthus in the poached pears and not overly sweet as well. I was totally enchanted by its sweet floral and apricot scent of osmanthus when sipping the soup. It’s very nutritious and healthy too.  You can serve it warm or chilled. Definitely a perfect choice of “cooling” dessert for this hot weather!

Apart from pear, the use of white fungus and Chinese almonds (both sweet and bitter almonds) can bring substantial benefits to our body too. White fungus can treat insomnia while Chinese almonds are good in treating cough and phlegm. If you want to know more about Chinese almonds and candied dates, please refer to this post and this post.

I had tried making it using both pot method and slow cooker method (yeah, that’s my cheater method!) as mentioned in my recipe. Both methods worked well for me. Taste-wise, the end result is the same. But I prefer the latter as it is easier and straight forward. So just let your reliable slow cooker do the job while you watch your World Cup worry-free!

>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for osmanthus poached pears recipe…………

How many of you would think that good nutrition starts with a good nutritious breakfast? Definitely not me when I was staying on my own. I didn’t really put much effort to make sure I have a good breakfast. It was either getting a hefty breakfast or skipping one altogether. Back then, breakfast to me is the least important meal of the day. That was then. Ever since I became a mother and done a bit of research on child’s nutrition, I started appreciating the benefit of getting into the habit of eating a healthy and nutritious breakfast. It’s not just any breakfast it has to be a healthy and nutritious one. Nowadays I make sure my family gets a nutritious breakfast to start the day.

Like many of you, I have problem getting up early to prepare an elaborate breakfast, especially when I am still semi-conscious and my “engine” hasn’t warmed up yet. Thus, I only choose those healthy breakfast recipes that are quick and easy to prepare and still allow me ample time to enjoy the breakfast with my family. One of them is this strawberry crunch /strawberry yogurt parfait, which I will now share with you.

Photo taken by my hubby. Do you like it?

This strawberry crunch is not only super-healthy but also super-easy to make. It has the combination of nutritious ingredients such as yoghurt, fresh fruit, honey, oats and nuts, all of which are perfect selections for breakfast. Here are some healthy facts about this recipe:

• Yoghurt is a low-fat source of protein and calcium. It contains good bacteria that is good for your digestive system;
• Strawberries and orange juice are rich in vitamin C. Both are antioxidant rich fruit;
• Besides adding natural sweetness, honey is a healthy alternative to super-refined sugar.
• As for the toasted oats and seeds, it boosts the nutrient contents as well as provides a crunchy layer for this breakfast treat.

If you want to speed up your preparation in the morning, you can toast the oats and nuts over-night and store them in the fridge. Then you only need to assembly all the required ingredients during breakfast. Tada! The eye-pleasing strawberry crunch will be ready in seconds! Does this parfait look impressive enough to “wake you up”?

For a tasty twist, try swapping strawberries with any choice of your favourite fresh fruit such as kiwi fruit, bananas, mangoes, blueberries and peaches, or even a mixed combination of them. Do you know that you can also make some healthy snack bars by tweaking this recipe as what I did in my earlier post?

Strawberries from Korea. Aren’t they pretty?

On a separate note here, on 1st May 2010, Foodbuzz had launched a new section called Healthbuzz which features and promotes various health and nutrition-related content from across the community of Featured Publishers. This Health section has been sub-divided into 4 categories: diet and nutrition, fitness, recipes and specialty diet. I feel so excited that my application to become a Healthbuzz Contributing Editor has been accepted. For parents and caretakers, don’t miss out this May feature highlighting children’s health and nutrition. Hop over and check it out now!

>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for strawberry crunch recipe and step-by-step photos………………

My hubby and I share one common interest. We both love food, especially dessert. Both of us get very excited when it comes to chatting about dessert. We used to be die-hard fans for desserts before our son came into the picture. Thereafter, our eating habits changed to a more health-conscious regime, as well as eating everything in moderation. That’s why I prefer to bake bread over cakes or making sweet desserts for my family. It’s only occaionally that I made desserts to satisfy our craving. Even then, it’s only in a small batch so as to refrain my family from over-eating. 





As one of the great British puddings, crumble originated in Britain during World War II. When my hubby first requested that I try making  fruit crumble, I dismissed it as another sweet dessert. It was only later that I changed my mind after seeing an oaty fruit crumble recipe in my favourite cookbook (Children’s healthy and fun cookbook – one of the cookbooks I used frequently because of its interesting yet healthy recipes). Apart from using fresh fruits, the recipe gives this traditional dish a healthy twist by adding oats and seeds to the topping. It is really a dessert that you should not miss. Not only is it easy to make, it also tastes so good that it’s very hard to stop once you start eating. My son who loves apple and blueberry very much gave this dessert TWO thumbs-up!!




You can try to mix and match other different varieties of seasonal fruits such as strawberries, nectarines, peaches, plums, blackberries or pears. It is an ideal recipe for those who need a quick dessert to serve their visiting guests or a large group during party time. Just adjust the amount accordingly to suit your requirement. If you don’t mind the extra “sinfulness”, top it with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. It’s heavenly!! Bet you will come back for more!

>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for recipe and more photos………………………….