Lotus root is the fat root of a plant Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.

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Lotus Preparation and Edible Uses.

Lotus Root Extract Lotus Leaf Extract INCI Name Nelumbo Nucifera Gaertn Extract Sacred Water Lotus photo picture image Wash thoroughly, and remove the thin skin by scraping. Since the rhizome discolours easily when cut, treat it as you would apple or pear - as soon as it is peeled and sliced, drop it into water which has been acidulated with lemon juice or citric acid. Slice off and discard the points between sections. The air spaces which run through the cylindrical shape are a decorative bonus.

 Properties: Sweet in flavor, cool in nature (cooked lotus root is slightly warm in nature), it is related to the channels of the spleen, stomach and heart.

 Edible Uses:

 Edible Parts: Flowers; Leaves; Root; Seed; Stem.

 Root - cooked as a vegetable. It is also a source of starch or arrowroot. Much used and relished in Chinese cooking, the root has a mild flavour and a crisp texture. It can be cooked with other vegetables, soaked in syrup or pickled in vinegar. The root contains about 1.7% protein, 0.1% fat, 9.7% carbohydrate, 1.1% ash. Young leaves - cooked or raw. Used as a vegetable. The leaves can also be used to wrap small parcels of food before cooking them. Stems - cooked. A taste somewhat like beet. They are usually peeled before use. Seed - raw or cooked. A delicate flavour. The seed can be popped like popcorn, ground into a powder and used in making bread or eaten dry. The bitter tasting embryo is often removed. The seed contains about 15.9% protein, 2.8% fat, 70% carbohydrate, 3.9% ash. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute. Petals can be floated in soups or used as a garnish. The stamens are used to flavour tea.

 Uses as food: The seeds are eaten; unripe and raw, or ripe and cooked. They are a popular ingredient in local desserts like "cheng teng". The rhizomes are also eaten. These are long sausage shaped with hollow portions and are connected like sausages on a string. They are boiled in soup; candied as a dessert; or pickled. The petioles and young roots are also eaten. The large circular leaves may be used to wrap food such as in lotus rice. The plant has been cultivated in China since the 12th century BC.
 Lotus Root Extract Lotus Leaf Extract INCI Name Nelumbo Nucifera Gaertn Extract Sacred Water Lotus photo picture image

 Lotus seed:

 The seeds are roasted or candied for eating directly; made into a paste for producing sauces and cake fillings (in mid-Autumn it is customary to serve "moon cakes" which have a filling made of lotus seeds and walnuts); and cooked in soups, usually with chicken or beans. An example of the latter is a soup presented at banquets for newlyweds, made with red beans and lotus seeds. Red beans (hongdou) represent strength, while lotus seeds (lianzi) symbolize the newlyweds being blessed with a child each year. The soup is also presented at the New Year's festival.

 Lotus Root:

 Lotus root is sweet and can be eaten as fruit, sliced and stir fried, or stuffed with glutinous rice in its flue-shaped holes and steamed as dessert. Tender young lotus roots are good for salads while starchy mature lotus roots are good for making soups. Ground mature lotus root powder makes wonderful thick soup and dessert soup. It also stops diarrhea, clears Heat and improve appetite. Lotus roots contain much iron, vitamins B and C. The rich fibre content of lotus roots stimulates peristalsis and relieves constipation. Drinking 2 to 3 glasses of lotus root juice a day can stop bleeding of the esophagus an stomach (vomiting blood); bleeding of the rectum, intestines or stomach (blood in feces); nose bleeding or gum bleeding. Lotus root soup also serves similar purposes. Patients with high fever can drink it cold, while those with steady temperature should drink it warm. Drinking water chestnut juice mixed with pear juice can help clear phlegm while mixing it with grape juice and carrot juice eases dry tongues.
 Lotus Root Extract Lotus Leaf Extract INCI Name Nelumbo Nucifera Gaertn Extract Sacred Water Lotus photo picture image

 The lotus has special significance for Buddhists. It is for them a symbol of purity, undefiled despite its muddy origin. LOTUS ROOT is so exotic looking that when most people see it they feel compelled to find out what it is. It is the subaqueous rhizome (swollen stem) of the lotus flower that grows in muddy ponds throughout Asia. The rhizome resembles huge sausage links, a large string of which may easily measure more than a meter. The air passages that run through the bulb form a lacy pattern that is revealed when the rhizome is peeled and sliced crosswise. Western chefs prize this quality, and use lotus root most often as a garnish. Although a woody, starchy vegetable, it has a mildly sweet flavor, faintly reminiscent of artichokes, and a crisp texture that holds well when cooked. Lotus root is often boiled in soup with pork bones and peanuts, cut into chunks for use as a vegetable, or stuffed, typically with mashed mung beans, and braised with pork. Lotus root can also be candied, pickled or deep-fried.

 The large rhizome of an aquatic plant (commonly known as the water lily), lotus root is pierced with long air tunnels so that when cut crosswise, the white slices look like someone trapped on a deserted island just off the coast of Idaho tried to replicate Honeycomb cereal using a potato.

 The starchy yet crisp flesh is slightly sweet; it may be sliced or grated to use in salads, stir-fried, or cooked in soups or stews. Thin, lacy slices make a unique garnish.

 A delicious and simple way to prepare lotus root: peel roots slice crosswise. Saute in oil over medium high heat (peanut oil works well), stirring constantly, for 10 to 15 minutes. Add a little sesame oil, a little soy sauce, a small pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar, stir quickly to combine and coat slices. When lotus is 'al dente', add a handful of snow peas, saute til they are bright green, then serve.

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citations1.Lotus root is the fat root of a plant Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.

last edit date:2nd,July.2009.