Miracle Noodles

I used to think there were no miracle foods.  I tried a new product that made me reconsider.

If you love or once loved pasta and you follow a wheat-free, gluten-free, egg-free, grain-free, legume-free, soy-free, low-carb, low-starch, low-cal, candida, diabetic, paleo, or celiac diet, or have elevated cholesterol, you’ll want to try the Miracle Noodle.

Please note that this noodle would not be appropriate for people who follow an the Specific Carbohydrate Diet because it is made from a starchy tuber that is excluded from that healing regimen. I previously listed the noodle as something followers of that way of eating could consume, but have since learned otherwise from people with more experience with the SCD approach.

What’s a Miracle Noodle?
The noodles are made from a Japanese plant called Konnyaku Imo, which roughly translates to mean elephant yam. They’re called yam noodles or shirataki noodles. (FYI: They bear no relation to what Americans call yams.) You may have seen tofu shirataki noodles in Asian markets. These noodles are similar but soy-free. They don’t require cooking…they are ready to eat!

Konnyaku, used widely in Japan, is also called Konjac root. It contains glucomannan, a healthy, naturally occurring water soluble fiber. Free of fat, sugar, and starch, the noodles contain zero net carbohydrates and zero calories. They’re also kosher. Research supports Konnyaku’s  beneficial effects for people with Type II Diabetes, constipation, obesity, and elevated cholesterol.

Picture courtesy of Miracle Noodles (Strumba Media, LLC)

Miracle Noodles are made by Konjac Foods USA. They come in a variety of shapes, from angel hair and fettuccini to linguini, from rigatoni to ditalini (short cut pasta), and from orzo and mini pearls to lasagna. They easily absorb the flavors of any soup, salad dressing, or sauce, and you can serve them warm or chilled.

The Miracle Idea
Dr. Jonathan Carp, a confirmed Japanese food addict, discovered the noodles while visiting a friend in Japan. He liked them so much he started selling them over the Internet.

How do they work?
The soluble fiber in the noodles slows digestion and the release of carbohydrates into your bloodstream. This provides a feeling of fullness, prolongs the return of hunger, and supports more even blood sugar and energy levels. The soluble fiber in Miracle Noodles also binds with bile acids secreted by your gall bladder, allowing your body to excrete rather than recycle them to make more cholesterol. This accounts for the cholesterol lowering effect of the noodles.

My Noodles Arrived! 
I’ll admit I was skeptical about the noodles.  My order arrived without ice in individual pouches, packed in water, in a Priority mailer. The instructions said that the angel hair shirataki noodles have a shelf life of 1 month at room temp, 3 months in the refrigerator. The company’s other varieties noodles have a shelf life of 1 year at room temperature.

I’m used to eating more perishable food. Although I consider myself an adventurous eater, I thought they looked funny sitting in water. Pasta has not been a staple in for at least a decade. I’ve probably eaten it once or twice a year, if that. So, they sat in my refrigerator for several weeks before I ventured to try them.

Finally, I tried them. First the linguini, then the fettucini.  First I tried them cold with a toasted sesame oil, ginger, tamari, and garlic sauce with a dash of maple syrup, and a garnish of minced green onions.  Then I tried them with a sesame-tahini-white miso and garlic sauce.  The next time I tried them warm slathered with a thick chicken-peanut-and vegetable stew.

I liked the chewy feel of the noodles against my teeth and the way they picked up the flavor of whatever I served or sauced them with. I think they’d be great with red sauce and meatballs or pesto and blanched broccoli. Now I’m curious to try their mini pearls, orzo, lasagna noodles, agar agar bars, and konjac root powder.

Now I'm curious to try their other noodle shapes: mini pearls, orzo, lasagna noodles, as well as their konjac root powder (used as a thickener) and agar agar bars (used to make a vegetarian version of Jell-O). I'll let you know what I think. Keep checking back for updates.

What's a serving?
Each package contained 1-1/3 cups of pasta. The company considers this 3 servings. For a couple of my tastings I figured 2 servings per package. A couple times I ate the entire package in one sitting with my meat and vegetable side dishes. I felt satisfied but not stuffed.

FYI: The Miracle Noodles require special handling detailed on the Miracle Noodle web site—including tips for dry roasting in a skillet for a minute so that the noodles will be completely dry and will better absorb the flavor of whatever you add to them.

For Nutrition information the angel hair shirataki noodles, click here

How you prepare the noodles?
1. Open the package over a colander (they’re packed in water). Don’t freak out if you detect a slightly fishy odor. That’s normal. It’s from the natural calcium additive they add to the water in the bag to keep the noodles’ shape intact.
2.  Rinse with warm water for approximately 2 to 4 minutes. This eliminates the smell.
3.  Pat dry with a paper towel or small hand towel or dry roast, which only takes a minute or two, to ensure that the noodles will absorb the flavor of what you add to them.

How to dry roast the noodles
The company recommends this procedure to thoroughly dry the noodles before adding a warm or chilled sauce or other flavored ingredients.

1.  Heat a cast iron or non-stick skillet with a little olive oil or cooking spray over high heat.
2.  Add the shirataki noodles and dry roast for about 1 minutes
3.  When the noodles are dry you may hear a speaking noise as you move them.
4.  Drizzle with a little oil or not, or add the stock or sauce you plan to use with a recipe.

For recipes using shirataki noodles see The Japanese Home Kitchen and Washoku: Recipes from The Japanese Home Kitchen

If you want to cook the Miracle Noodles
Add them to your sauce, stir fry or other dish at the end of your preparation process.  Heat the noodles for no more than 3 to 5 minutes.  The thicker shape shirataki noodles such as fettucini, rigatoni, lasagna, can withstand more heat than the angel hair, but you still want to watch them. Extended cooking can adversely effect the texture.

Your turn
Let me know what you think if you try their products when you try them. If you try the Miracle Noodles, let me know what you think. I’d love to hear from you.

Comments

[Vittoria]

Wow! I've seen these several times before, but I wrote them off because I didn't think that they were safe for SCD. Thanks for trying them for us. I'm going to have to order some myself.

[Chef Rachel]

I can't guarantee that they're safe for the SCD diet but from what I know I think they would be. If you discover something to the contrary, please let me know. I'm a novice when it comes to SCD info.

[Ricki]

These sound incredible. I wish we could get them here in Canada!

[Chef Rachel]

maybe you can. Why don't you contact the company?

[Kim Brown]

AMAZING!!!!!!!! THANK YOU AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN!!!!

[Kim]

Can Miracle Noddle be frozen, especially the sample package we ordered? I really need to know as I am going to be away for a while longer than the refrigerated shelf life

[Chef Rachel]

Hi Kim,

I have no idea if they can be frozen.I would imagine it would adversely alter the texture. I suggest you call the company and ask. If they can't be frozen and you already have some you bought, maybe you could share them w/a friend so they don't go to waste. I'll help you eat them if you need to find a home for them! :-))

[Mary]

I just received mine and couldn't wait to try them. I am an angel air pasta fan and thought this might be a great alternative. I rinsed and dried with a paper towel as instructed and I added them to my favorite chicken stock. I just could not get over the translucent slimy worm-like texture of them. They picked up the flavor well though, so I might try the dry roasting instruction next, and maybe even put them in my food dehydrator? If it works it may make them more shelf stable for the future and hopefully will improve the texture a bit.

[Lori Robertson]

I'm a pasta addict trying to cut down on carbs, so I ordered the angel hair noodles. I tried them out for the first time today in a spicy curry soup with vegetables. The chewy texture of the noodles takes a bit of getting used to, but they worked great in this simple ramen-style soup. Now if I could only figure out a way to make them into cookies!

[Chef Rachel]

Hi Lori,

Thanks for posting. Glad you tried the noodles. Yes, they do take some getting used to. For cookies, you can use coconut flour alone or in combination with a gluten free flour blend for a lower carb (but not zero carb) cookie.

I do have a recipe for a grain-free, gluten-free, flour-free coconut macaroon in both of my books, The Garden of Eating and The Ice Dream Cookbook. The recipe calls for honey + stevia, making it lower in calories and carbs than other cookies.

Keep checking back on my blog for more recipes and ideas. I also have some cooking videos on YouTube, some of them low carb. http://www.youtube.com/user/ChefRachel1

[T Meyers]

Hey, just ran across your site while GOOGLE-ing recipes for PCOS and Borderline Diabetes. I was wondering, can you get this in the US or do you have to order it? And, do you have to buy large quantities? I am inteested in trying it.
Thanks, T Meyers

Hi,

I live in the US & I have never seen Miracle Noodles in stores. To get it I think you have to place an order by phone or on line,

Chef Rachel

[gina showell]

hello

are these the same noodles that Dr. Jon would write about? I used to purchase noodles from them and get weekly tips and news letters. Is this the same company revamped?

[Hannah Friesen]

Response to Ricki: Hi, I live in Calgary, Alberta. I went to the Korean-Japanese store Arirang and asked for shirataki noodles, not Miracle Noodles. I had no trouble finding them. I grew up eating them in sukiyaki is Japan. I used to call them "rubber bands".

Hannah

[Kili]

You can pretty much get these type of noodles at your grocery store they are always located right next to the tofu. Shirataki noodles is all you have to look for. Miracle noodles is just a brand that mainstreamed it for diet the Japanese have been using these forever.

[Chef Rachel]

Wow, I didn't know that. I recently saw them at Whole Foods Market and was surprised. I haven't looked in regular supermarkets yet!

Thanks for posting that. I hope you'll come back to read more on my blog.

[BARBARA]

I HAVE A QUESTION???WOULD THESE BE ACCEPTABLE ON THE ATKINS DIET?

[Chef Rachel]

Hi Barbara

These noodles would be acceptable on an atkin's diet!

[Debora]

would these be acceptable on the nutra system diet

[Debora]

hi im on the nutrisystem diet would these noodles be ok thank you

[Chef Rachel]

Hi Debora

I can't see why they wouldn't fit with that diet. They're not starch based and they are virtually calorie free.

[Lorie]

I am on the Medifast diet and wanted a way to have spaghetti (1/2 cup is equal to 1 veggie). I am also a big texture picky person and was worried about the rubber band comments on some of the posts. I found that if you follow all the directions for prep including stir frying and marinating them over night the texture is almost like rice pasta. The prep time is a down fall but the benefits of the low carb substitute out weigh that. I have eaten the angel hair with tandori spice & Chicken Tika Marsala, and am now marinating the thin noodles in olive oil and Italian spices for dinner. Doing the prep the night before will become habit as I learn new ways to season them. The other plus is that my husband likes them.

[kim]

would these noodles be a good for the hcg diet

[EMC2Health]

Your fettuccine pasta made from miracle noodles looks delicious. I will try your dry roasting method the next time I eat these noodles. Thanks for sharing a very healthy food option for those of us searching for a pasta substitute.

[Chef Rachel]

Hi Lorie,
Your combo w/the Indian Chicken dish sounds delish! I have not tried marinating yet. I will though. I did add the noodles to a hot and sour chinese-style soup once and liked that.

I'm surprised your diet doesn't allow you to eat a larger amount of the noodles since they are virtually calorie free.

[Karleen]

Mu Aunt and Uncle used these on the HGC diet and still managaed to lose their daily amount of weight! So for HCG dieter, this may or may not work for you but you might want to give it a try. I am!

[Lara]

Well I ventured into the world of the Miracle Noodle and I have to admit that I was very pleasantly surprised. I was also turned off a little bit by the slimy white look but I have to admit that once I dry roasted them and added my olive oil, spices, fresh basel and roasted chicken pieces it tasted great. Personally, I liked it so much that I just ordered 2 of the samplers. I recommend them highly. You will be surprised.

[Chef Rachel Albert]

Hi Lara,

So glad you liked the noodles. Amazing how they go from looking odd to looking and tasting better after a dry roast and some tasty toppings.

Thanks for following my blog,
Chef Rachel

[Beth A]

I am SO glad I found this site! I just purchased several pouches and couldn't wait to try them. I saw nothing on the company's site about the pan roasting method, only the suggestion that they be patted dry. I figured heck, I'm putting them in soup, why should they be dry? Big mistake! Drying is a MUST. Prior to roasting I found them inedible. Slimy, rubbery and completely devoid of flavor, but after roasting I found the texture more palatable and they definitely were better able to absorb flavor. I will keep experimenting.

[Chef Rachel Albert]

Hi Beth

It was somewhere obscure on the site that I read that about pan roasting or drying. I'm glad you tried it. ;-)

Let me know if you find any ways you love to serve the noodles! You might give me more ideas too!

Rachel

[Sandi]

I just tried the rice and really liked it. Some in my family said the smell was unbearable even after rinsing. I didn't notice it after the rinsing. The only problem I have is the next day. Make sure you are by a bathroom. It IS fiber!
Sandi

[Paulette Fein]

These noodles sound great, but I had my gall bladder removed about 48 years ago - I am 70 - and wonder whether it might not be a good idea to try them. Thanx. Paulette

[Beth Dikeman]

Hi Paulette

I don't see why you wouldn't be able to eat these noodles. They are virtually fat free and calorie free.

[Victor]

You can buy them at most health food streos. You can also find them cheap online. The Paleo diet is a diet (lifestyle) similar to what our caveman ancestors would have ate. Meat, veggies, nuts & seeds, fresh fruit, etc. Nothing processed or prepackaged, and no dairy, wheat, soy, or legumes. Its a diet based on what we were supposed to eat, the way nature intended. It is a great lifestyle! I have a lot more energy since going Paleo. I feel better, I perform better in my workouts. I don't feel sluggish or tired. I recommend it to everyone!