konjac

Meanings

1. A foul-smelling plant grown in Asia, Amorphophallus konjac.
2. Any of various food products made from the plant, including a flour and a gelatin, used to make noodles and candies, and as a food supplement for weight reduction.

Etymology

From the Latinized binomial name for the plant, Amorphophallus konjac or Arisaema konjac in earlier texts, from Japanese 蒟蒻, 菎蒻 (konnyaku) or Korean 곤약 (gonyak). The Japanese term probably derives from Old Japanese, in turn from Middle Chinese 蒟蒻 (MC kjuX|kjuH nyak). The plant is not native to the Japanese archipelago, and was imported from China.