Searching for my shirataki love (video)

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Ahhh the tofu shirataki noodle.

I’ve had a love (the promise of them) hate (when they’re actually in my mouth) relationship with them for nearly a decade.

Initially I tried them because regular pasta provides me with an all-body-rash the likes of which you never wanna see.

And Ive tried em two or three times a year since because I seem to be one of the *few* who can’t get past the smell to the tofu-goodness beneath (or so Im told).

Each time I try them Ren Man gags laughs as he thinks Im a nutball (technical term) for trying.

Again.

Easily said by the non-rashriddledbypasta husband, huh?

Recently  I tried again & this time I dragged the Tornado into the mix’periment.

I rinsed & rinsed & rinsed the noodles (the package indicates this helps to remove the “authentic aroma.’  Just a word of caution that aforementioned authenticity smells like FISH.) & plopped em on a napkin.

And, as HIGHLY recommended, I dried for a longass while with paper towels.

This act is supposed to help remove even more of the ‘authentic aroma’ though Id not found it much help the previous 847583 times I attempted to locate my shirataki-love.  (I guess it begs addressing here that the noodles may be GLUTEN FREE but they are NOT green given all the paper products required in their preparation.)

I boiled them *briefly* (2 minutes) & plopped em in a bowl.

Then, being the noncook I am, suddenly realized I possessed *nothing* to go on top.

No tomatosauceshreddedcheesealfredopestowhatwhat I could utilize to give the shirataki *flavor* as the noodles (like many tofu items) take on the flavors around them.

AND THEN I SPIED THIS (& immediately thought of these fab bloggers & how they’d love to mock me should I use it in a post) AND I COULDNT RESIST.

I tried it.

The Tornado tried it.

And this time, finally, we LIKED IT!

**cue confetti shaped like long squiggly strands of tofu**

Now you.

have you already found your shirataki-love?

still searching as I was?

never heard of the noodle till this wanna-be food blogger post?

Please to hit us all up in the comments…

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Comments

  1. I couldn’t get the videos to work!
    Now I’m dying of curiousity as I wanna try these 🙂

  3. So they really do smell like fish?

    A friend of mine swears by them but when she said there was an aroma she never said fish 🙂

    Love MizFit as food blogger.

  4. I did try them about two months ago! I didn’t hate them, didn’t love them either. I think I just need to find a better way. I was crazy hungry and it was an easy go to with some roasted veggies and a little can of tomato sauce overtop. Like I said, just okay.

    Now that I’m thinking of it, I’ll add it to my shopping list and try again.

    P.S. The videos and the looks on your faces are great!

  6. I tried the noodles and did not like them at all.

    I didn’t use a billion towels though 🙂 maybe that was the trouble.

    They were nasty.

    Sorry miz.

  7. Are these noodles pricey in your area? They are in central Florida! I love them but the hubby has a problem with the price and texture. I never heard of drying them, though. I bet we could solve the texture problem that way. Thanks for the tip!

  8. That was hilarious! I’ve never tried them and now, while I am a bit intrigued, I’m a bit frightened as well. I’ll hit up the Costco for some paper towels before attempting this.

    Thanks for the warning, uh, I mean tip!

    Seriously, thanks for the grin this early Friday morning.

  11. I did find these locally (in a whole foods’esque store) and no…they aren cheap.

    I also found that the DRYING LIKE A MO FO (had to be said ;)) really helped change the texture!

  12. Never heard of them, will have to look around. I can guarantee my family won’t want to bother.

  13. You must try HG’s pasta fredo (I think that’s what she calls it).

    Best shirataki recipe ever.

  14. I tried them. Couldn’t get past the texture and for some reason I couldn’t get the noodles to cut into manageable pieces. Surely I’m doing something wrong?!

  17. I’ve had them a couple times. I included them in stir fry concoctions as an attempt to make something that reminded me of my beloved various Thai noodle dishes. I liked them okay, but didn’t love them.

    Those videos are great.

  19. The vids aren’t working for me; the square disappears when I click on them.

    I also want to know “the secret” (Is that what the bestseller book is about?). I try them about once a year and am still unimpressed.

  21. The videos are cute – and the tornado looks like she’s in on the fun, completely!

    I’ve never had the nerve to try the noodles – all of the smell comments had deterred me – but I never heard FISH…I cannot stand fish! Sad, because the ramen-look really appeals to me (some days I yearn for the sodium-laden goodness of a Cup O Noodles).

  22. OK, this one made me giggle. =)

    I tried Tofu Shirataki once, and it was the fatter linguine-esqe noodles. I thoroughly rinsed them, so it wasn’t the smell that was off-putting. The texture threw me for a loop. I don’t think that I dried them sufficiently, so they were a little more slimy (and also chewy) than I would’ve preferred.

    Maybe I’ll give it another shot.

  26. Tried them. They were OK. But I’m NOT much of a noodle person.

    I used them -very Eastern- with broth and lots of thinly sliced veggies in a soup. I approve highly. But I just don’t see them then in the stores around me. Have to go to the authentic Asian grocery store to get them.

  27. Where did you get them?

    Sunharvest?

    I’ve tried them before but didn’t dry them!

    They were icky 😉

  29. Like you, I have tried them a zillion times and not found the love. Some experiments have been better than others, but nothing to keep them on the menu. I think you have inspired me to give them another try though – I will be sure to dry them better, I think that’s my problem!

  30. these babies are a GODSEND! the most fabulous way i know to use them is to prepare as you’ve faithfully described, and cover them with cincinnati chili, diced onions, and low-fat cheddar. if you’ve never had cincy-style chili, it’s a greek-style meat chili with lots of onions, garlic, cinnamon, etc. we can buy pre-fab spice packets with instructions at grocery stores around here but if you don’t have them, you can find recipes all over the internet (lyn from escapefromobesity’s is fairly faithful to the original.) i also generally substitute freshly vitamix-ed tomatos, green onions, and whatever greens i have on hand for the tomato paste the instructions usually call for. ohheavenlyyumminess.

  31. O
    K
    A
    Y
    I am ready to try.

    Can someone post HG’s recipe or tell me where to look?

    Thanks!!

  32. I do like them. I have found they work best for me when I heat them in a non stick fry pan. That warms them and “dries” them. My kids love when I throw them in a stir fry. They love the texture of them. They are cheapest at Sprouts and quite often go on sale for $1.19 there.

  33. I found them at Central Market in Austin.

    And let me see if Lisa/Hungry Girl says ok about the recipe repost and I shall!
    Hold on….

  34. I actually really like the noodles. I think the texture is close to rice noodles. I also really like the bean thread nood;es at thai restaurants, which these are similar to.

  38. Yumm! I gotta try that. Thanks for commenting on my blog. It is such an honor to have you share with me your summer time activities. I bet it is much nicer to workout indoors this time of the year.

  39. I’ve never even heard of those noodles! Maybe, just maybe I’ll pick some up if I ever run across them in the store.

    p.s. The Tornado is absolutely adorable.

  42. Ahahaha I love the expression on your face when you tried it! Tornado looks pretty pleased though.

    I adore tofu shiritaki noodles, but the store I used to buy them at is now shut down 🙁 I can’t find them ANYWHERE else in the city. There’s an oriental food market near my house that sells yam noodles similar to tofu shiritaki, but I don’t like the taste of those things at ALL. I miss tofu shiritaki.

    PS They totally can be green, if you use a tea towel! Just wash and re-use 🙂

  43. I’ve never tried these noodles but I am going to look for them. Love the videos. Im thinking some peanut type sauce with some chicken.

    Great blog!

    Thank you for the comment on my post about the haircut 🙂

  45. I have tried them, never noticed a bad smell though. But I was always careful to check dates on the package. My store has been known to have expired packages on the shelf. And I also followed the package directions as per rinsing and drying and all.

    I like them in soup occasionally, otherwise, I’m not that big into them. If I need a pasta substitute, I really, really like sphagetti squash.

  47. hahahhahahah this post is awesome! I saw it this morning but wanted to save it for when I had enough time for the videos 🙂 I’ve never tried these noodles….but I’m not sure I could do it if they smell like fish. The tornado is adorable!

  48. I ordered a 10 pack on-line at Low Carb U Foods and they were offering free shipping so they came out to about $2 per bag (although it looks like the prices went up)
    Please keep posting recipes, I melted some laughing cow light (not my favorite) with them and it was OK (after washing/drying/washing/drying/etc), but I prefer the tomato-based (like from Lyn, thanks!) and I have nine more bags to use up!!

  49. Hmmm…I always stayed away because I was told the texture was wierd and I’m a texture person. The whole smelling like fish thing wasn’t really a huge draw either 🙂

    I’ll pick some up and try the drying out a lot thing.
    They look like yumminess…

  52. Cammy I think I dried them for a couple MINUTES and then redried AGAIN after microwaving…and pressed HARD on the paper towels 😉

  54. I have heard of these noodles and what I heard is that they STINK. Definitely not for me.

    When I want something noodle-ish, I go for the brown rice pasta.

    The Tornado is great at noodle eating. I believe that is a wonderful skill to have!

  55. I tried them due to Hungry-Girl’s recipe recommendations but couldn’t get past the fishy smell or the bland taste either. I’m thinkin’ if you cover it with enough low fat tomatosauceshreddedcheesealfredopestowhatwhat, it can’t be all bad!

  56. The first time I spied these at Whole Foods, I bought 3 or 4 bags…but I didn’t love em….they were OK. Same with the veggie jerky (WF on 6th in the chip aisle) but I’d give Tofu shirataki another shot. Love your videos!

  58. I think it’s an acquired taste? or not? like beer? or not? NOT!
    I’m new to the shira-noodle (I know a girl named Shiranoui)
    and adapting to the texture, but am in full agreement that it morphs to the flavor of it’s neighbors.
    My friend told me to rinse it and then throw it in a stirfry. It didn’t suck.

  59. First, we have the same table…OK, not shirataki related, but I noticed.
    Second, I can hack them once in a while, with lots of prep. I put broccoli, melt laughing cow, and a little salt/pepper. They’re OK. I’ve only had the fettuccini sorta shaped ones.

  60. stick with hungry girl….she knows what she’s talking about with the shirataki. Try a little(really little0 bit of oil, saute noodles, fave veggies, littlesoy sauce or sesame oil….yum

  61. My mother has been telling me about “Miracle Noodles” for a few months. http://www.miraclenoodle.com/index.html I can’t tell for sure but it looks like they may be the same thing as you are talking about. She always sounded like she couldn’t make up her mind about if she liked them. I saw the noodles you prepared at Whole Foods today but was scared to try them.

  62. I like Shirataki noodles and I prep them similar to you, but after I remove from the microwave I rinse and blot them AGAIN. I also use them in a spaghetti bake in the oven. YUMMY!

  63. Hi, Thanks for checking out my blog!! Sorry for the delay, been on vacation, only had time for posting and not responding. Getting back to normal now!! The 5(k) walk was amazing!! I beat my last year’s time by 17 minutes!! Feel pretty good about that!!! It’s amazing what can happen when you are fit and strong!!! Can’t wait for next year!!!

  64. I have never tried any form of tofu. I just assumed it’s gross. Maybe that’s my southern (fried chicken) voice talking…I don’t know. I really should try some type of tofu…so I know what everyone is talking about 🙂

  65. I have never tried it and am a little scared of the smell! But I will probably give them a whirl in the next few weeks. Thanks for the run-down on how to prepare them!

  66. Well, they look normal anyway! I’ll have to check them out in the Asian aisle, right? And somehow, around here, I’m sure we have a lot of potential toppings… My daughter is a nut with the soy sauce bottle but I like just a drop of sesame oil. It makes a great sauce for anything.

  67. Ah yes. The bouncy, chewy, funny smelling noodles. Since you’re gluten free, have you tried quinoa spaghetti. Not low carb like the tofu shirataki, but they’re really good.

  68. I tried them because I read about them online and NO ONE mentioned the smell. So when I opened the package, I had NO idea what I was in for.

    And WHOOBOY did my co-workers dislike me that day.

    They’re OKAY, but I still really struggle with the smell of the stuff – even after rinsing twice. I’ll try rinsing 849 times and then try them again.

    I can’t see the video at work (YouTube is blocked here, and I assume that’s what you used?), but I’ll check it out at home.

  69. A friend of mine told me about these noodles and she swears by them. She competes as a fitness model and this is one of her secret ingredients! I’ve ordered a bag and will try them very soon.

  71. I have some of these in my fridge, but I’ve been nervous to use them. I’m going to try them tomorrow using the Hungry Girl alfredo recipe with some added chicken. We’ll see how it goes…

  72. These noodles are great, but unfortunately they’re LEAST successful with tomato sauce–very runny, since they don’t soak up liquid like regular pasta.

    However, try pesto or thai curry paste (with or without coconut milk added). Then they’re delicious! For a quick lunch I add a can of red salmon and mix in 2 or 3 tablespoons of pesto sauce and heat in the microwave.

  73. I do use these from time to time as I don’t like eating pasta because I feel like it is just a bowl of insulin raising carbs.

    I do rinse them then boil. Dry them in a towel so whatever sauce you use will stick to them.

    This is my favorite.
    Saute a bunch of different vegetables. Use a little olive oil, garlic, basil, and crushed red pepper.
    Add your noodles, add some chicken or what ever you would like, some marinara sauce and heat through. Then add a little bit of goat cheese, stir and let it melt through. It is so darn good.

    Now I do prefer to use miracle noodles ( http://www.miraclenoodle.com) because they are made from a japanese yam which contains no carbs and it is a more natural product.
    The one thing I am unsure about with the shirataki is the origin of the tofu. Is it non-gmo? I’m sure it’s not organic so that worries me a bit and that’s why I don’t use them that often.
    Any thoughts?

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