How to Eat Lotus Roots Lotus roots cooking methods
Lotus root is one of the specialties in Zhejiang, growing in lakes, with crispy skin and delicious meat, available in green, red, and purple colors. Lotus root can be eaten raw, but it is typically cooked or dried before consumption. How to eat lotus root? This is a question many people have. What are the nutritional values of lotus root? Can pregnant women eat lotus root? These are topics that netizens care about.
How to eat lotus root
Lotus root is a specialty in Zhejiang, though visible in places like Guangdong, people's knowledge of it is nearly zero. So how do you eat lotus root? Let's take a look together.
Saltwater Lotus Root
Ingredients: fresh lotus root,ginger, oil, salt
Steps:
1. Soak the lotus roots in water for 20 minutes, then wash them thoroughly;
2. Place the washed lotus roots in a pot and add twice as much water as the lotus roots, along with 1 spoon of table salt and a little cooking oil;
3. Boil for 15 more minutes after it comes to a boil, then remove and drain before eating.
Note: Lotus root should not be eaten together with pork, as it may cause abdominal pain.
Lotus Root and Pig Bone Soup
Ingredients: lotus root, pig bone, coriander, salt
Steps:
1. Blanch the pork bones in boiling water to remove blood; rinse off the foam;blood, then;
3. Clean and peel the fresh lotus roots, then wash them briefly;
4. Put the pig bone and lotus root into a pressure cooker with an appropriate amount of water; cook for 8 minutes after it reaches full pressure, then turn off the heat.
5. After releasing the pressure, add salt and coriander to season.
Three Treasures of the Pond
Ingredients: lotus root,lotus seeds, lotus stem,lily bulb,cinnamon, salt, starch, ginger Steps:1. Clean and cut the lotus stem into pieces; peel the lotus roots and lotus seeds, mince the ginger, and chop the cinnamon; 2. Boil water in a pot, add the lotus root, lotus seed, and lotus to blanch, then drain them;
3. Heat oil in a pan, stir-fry the minced ginger until fragrant, then add the lotus root, lotus seed, and lotus, stirring occasionally while adding a little water, season with salt.
4. Add cinnamon and mix with a bit of starched water before serving.
How to Peel Lotus Root
In July and August, when the lotus roots are ripe, those familiar with them will eat them without hesitation;
but for newcomers, they may struggle with its strange shape.
To avoid missing this delicious food, learning how to peel a lotus root is essential!
First, clean fresh lotus roots thoroughly. Then cut the bottom of the lotus root until you see the white flesh inside. Next, make a cut on each side at the bottom, also revealing the flesh. Finally, use your thumbs to apply even pressure inwards and break open the two corners; the shell should come off easily.
If it still doesn't come off, try breaking another corner. A whole lotus root is then revealed!
If you find this too troublesome, you can also bite its ends with your teeth, but make sure to clean them first.
Nutritional Value of Lotus Root
Lotus roots, chestnuts, rice yam,
are collectively known as "three treasures in autumn," and as a specialty from Zhejiang, they are no less nutritious when eaten raw or cooked.
Research shows that lotus roots contain abundant starch, protein,
sugars,
fat, beta carotene, B vitamins, vitamin C, various trace elements such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron.From a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, lotus root is sweet, bitter, and neutral in nature; it not only clears summer heat and detoxifies but also strengthens the spleen, benefits digestion, strengthens muscles and bones, and boosts energy. For women who care about their appearance, eating lotus roots can be helpful for weight loss. They are rich in nutrients without causing weight gain due to their low fat content; records state that "lotus root tonifies five organs, does not make one hungry, and helps lose weight."
For the elderly, lotus roots are also beneficial.Grinding them into a powder with rice,and cooking it as porridge has detoxifying and spleen-boosting effects; it is good for elderly health. Modern medical research also indicates that lotus root may have anti-cancer properties, preventing esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, and uterine cancer.In addition to this, it has diuretic and lactation-promoting effects, as well as alcohol detoxification; postpartum mothers can eat it in moderation to aid milk flow. Can Pregnant Women Eat Lotus RootsDuring pregnancy, what one eats is a matter of particular concern. What foods are safe for pregnant women?
So can pregnant women eat lotus roots? We will analyze the nutritional value and effects based on this question. Lotus roots are called "water peanuts," with nutrients comparable to other nuts; eating them helps in urination, promoting milk flow, quenching thirst, which is widely recognized.Therefore, pregnant women can eat lotus roots appropriately for milk production support. In addition, they contain abundant starch, protein,sugars, fat, beta carotene, B vitamins, vitamin C, various trace elements such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron. Appropriate intake benefits both the mother's nutrition and fetal development.
However, note that lotus roots are cool in nature; overconsumption can cause bloating. Eating raw should be limited. Pregnant women may grind them into a powder mixed with rice porridge for consumption. Lotus Root Porridge
Ingredients: 20 lotus roots, 50 grams of water chestnut flour, 50 grams of glutinous rice, 20 grams of red sugar.
Steps:1. Clean the picked lotus roots, peel them, remove the seeds and dry or air-dry them; store for later use.2. Wash the lotus shells, place in a sand pot with cleaned glutinous rice and an appropriate amount of water. Boil until the rice is cooked, then add the lotus root powder and wetted water chestnut flour while stirring constantly. Add red sugar to thicken it into porridge.
How to Distinguish Between Fresh Lotus Roots and Old Lotus Roots Perhaps many people don't know that there are fresh and old lotus roots. The ones we usually see are black, but according to our different ways of consumption, knowing how to distinguish between them is essential. If you buy for raw eating, you must choose fresh lotus roots;but if cooked, get the older ones.
How to tell the difference?First, observe their appearance. Fresh lotus roots have green or brown shells; old lotus roots are red or yellow. Second, use your fingers to press. Fresh ones can be easily peeled open; the hard shell of the older ones is difficult to break. You can also submerge them in water; those that float on top are fresh, while those at the bottom are old.
When eaten raw, fresh lotus roots are clear and juicy, but old ones taste bitter.
Ingredients: 20 water caltrops,50 grams of arrowroot powder, 50 grams of glutinous rice,and 20 grams of brown sugar. Method:
1. First, clean the collected water caltrops, split them open, remove the shells, extract the water caltrop flesh, dry and grind it into fine powder, set aside for later use.
2. Clean the water caltrot shells, place them in a sandpot along with washed glutinous rice, add an appropriate amount of water, bring to a boil over high heat, then switch to low heat until the glutinous rice is cooked and soft. Add the water caltrop powder and wet arrowroot powder, stir continuously while cooking, and finally add the brown sugar to form a thick porridge.
How to distinguish between fresh and old water caltrops
Perhaps many people don't know that there are distinctions between fresh and old water caltrops. The ones commonly seen are black in color, but according to our method of consumption, we also need to understand how to differentiate them.
If buying for direct consumption without cooking, you must choose the fresh ones;
while if buying for cooking, you should choose the older ones. How can we distinguish between fresh and old water caltrops? Firstly, observe their appearance directly.
Fresh water caltrops have green or brown shells, whereas old ones have red or yellow shells. Secondly, use your fingers to press them; the fresh ones are easy to peel open, while the old ones have hard shells that are difficult to open.
We can also place the water caltrops in water; those floating on top are fresh, and those sinking to the bottom are old.
When eaten raw, fresh water caltrops taste clear and sweet with plenty of juice, while old ones are somewhat bitter.
When eaten raw, fresh lotus seeds are crisp and sweet, while older ones have a bitter taste.
