Shiritaki Noodles (a review)

I'd heard about this stuff a few times in the past few years. Hungry Girl raves about them and has slew of recipes that feature these noodles. I'd seen a few articles and it seems like a lot of people either love it or hate it, but there's not much in between. It really boils down to what you're expecting form it.

What: 

Noodles traditionally made from a japanese yam. Yam-tofu blend versions of this exist in many US supermarkets.

Why: 
4oz = 15 calories. Low carb, gluten free, etc etc. It's being touted as the miracle pasta swap.  The noodles pictured here is 30 calories worth of the "spaghetti" noodles.

First Impression: 
Meh. I found them awkward to handle and they didn't react as I'd expect the noodles to. This expectation stemmed from the marketing as being a "pasta swap." This is fairly unrealistic if you're into textures and mouth-feels of foods. In that aspect, it is NOTHING like italian egg-and-semolina flour pasta. However, they are super similar in texture to Maifun and Saifun noodles found in Chinese cooking.

I rinsed them well and strained it as instructed, but they were still too wet when I went to doctor it up in the pan. The pesto doesn't "stick" to the noodles (nor would I expect any other similar sauce). I also made the mistake of adding a touch of water to the pan when cooking so there was a little too much liquid. Will keep this in mind for next time.

The Good: 
If you're used to any kind of asian glass noodle, then this is very similar to that. The texture is bouncy and I'm used to that kind of texture in a much thinner noodles. The noodles have a very neutral flavor, so it will take on whatever flavor it's cooked with. Because of the slipperiness of the noodles, I would use a little bit of a super flavorful sauce or try it as a noodle for soup in the future.

It was also very filling and I didn't get hungry for a late night snack or dessert. It's rich in fiber, apparently. A quick look online shows that a lot of people who are watching their blood sugar loves this stuff because it keeps their blood sugars in a good range and minimizes the spikes.  Usually found in asian markets, more brands are marketing it in US stores. I've seen them at Ralph's and Vons (albeit with different brand names) in the section where you'd find the tofu.

The Bad: 
It's weird to handle at first. The liquid that it is packaged in has a pungent odor, so rinsing, rinsing again, parboiling, and drying very thoroughly is a MUST when preparing the product. Also, you can't add "just a bit" of liquid as these noodles are slippery when wet and doesn't absorb the liquids it's cooked in.

The texture, if unexpected, could be off putting to some. Rather than a soft, al dente chew like you'd expect from pasta, these are slippery, bouncy, with a hint of a crunch.

The Verdict: 
I'm definitely going to try to incorporate it into my diet. I think I'll try it in some more traditional japanese recipes and experiment with my own.