Raw maguro (tuna) is served with rice as sushi or without as sashimi. One Japanese company is now introducing phony maguro you can eat. Imagine that!
This faux sashimi is actually konnyaku (こんにゃく), which is a rubbery jelly made from a variety of potatoes. It's actually very healthy and high in fiber.
Natural tomato coloring turns the konnyaku, which is usually a grayish brown, red. The fake maguro sashimi comes with a maguro sauce, which gives the flavorless konnyaku the necessary taste of tuna as does eating it with wasabi.
Considering how relatively inexpensive maguro can be (you can eat two pieces of maguro sushi for about US$1 at conveyor belt sushi places), don't look to faux maguro sushi to replace the real deal in Japan anytime soon. Meaning? Sushi restaurants aren't going to start serving konnyaku maguro!
This seems to be something you can put in the fridge at home, without having to worry so much about expiration dates or something you can snack on while boozing in front of the TV. It's also way cheaper: three bags of this stuff costs around $6.30.
Previously, this same company released a konnyaku version of liver sashimi after several deadly cases food poisoning incidents caused the dish to disappear from restaurant menus.
わさびで食べるマンナン漬けまぐろ [Mannan Country]
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