Cognac plant (horse)

The cognac (cognac) plant is scientifically called Amorphophallus cognac (Latin name Amorphophallus konjac). It is a species of perennial plant that belongs to the genus Amorphophallus (Amorphophallus) in the family Aroid (Araceae).

It is noteworthy that the unusual and even somewhat frightening appearance of its above-ground part determines the local names of this plant. For example, translated from English (devil's-tongue or snake-palm), its name sounds like a devil's language or snake palm, and the Japanese name of the plant is connyaku (コンニャク).

The natural habitat of this species is the countries of East Asia. In particular, the cognaku (connyaku) plant is most often found in China (Yunnan province), Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines. Rusty prefers cognac (horse) in open spaces, in forest thickets and on the outskirts of forests, while certainly at an altitude of 200-3000 meters above sea level.

The cognac (horse) plant is often cultivated for decorative purposes, even despite the disgusting smell that it emits during flowering. However, as a food plant, it is actively grown in China, Japan and Korea. Of particular value to humans are the slightly glossy tubers of the cognac (horse) plant, which are distinguished by their brown color and compressed spherical shape.

For more than a millennium, the Japanese have been using cognac tubers for food purposes. Even now, almost every Japanese woman knows the beneficial properties of the cognaku (connyaku) plant. It is especially appreciated for its insignificant calorie content with a rather saturated vitamin composition.

It must be said that the tubers of the cognaku (connyaku) plant are part of a large number of traditional Japanese dishes. For example, they are used in the preparation of o-dan - one of the most popular and common meals in Japan. It is essentially a mixture of carrots, radishes, lotus roots, boiled eggs, and cognac (horse meat) tubers steamed. Some Japanese prefer to add fish sticks or tofu cheese to this dish.

In addition, on the basis of the tubers of the cognac (horse) plant, flour is produced, which acts as the starting material for the manufacture of noodles and rice. Sometimes tortillas are made from it, which are eaten instead of bread. By the way, for breakfast, the Japanese often eat boiled horse meat with vegetables instead of our usual coffee sandwiches or corn flakes. Substances that are contained in the tubers of this plant, improving the functioning of the intestines, normalize weight, increase the tone of the body and accelerate metabolic processes in the human body.