Monday, June 15, 2009

FRESH LOTUS SEED (LIANZI)

Twenty years ago, I had my first taste of fresh Lotus seeds (Lianzi) while fishing for Haruan fish in Lotus ponds and disused mining ponds around the Batang Padang District in Perak.
As most of these ponds are far, off road and remote, the fresh Lotus seeds was a good snack to sustain my hunger while waiting to reel in the vociferous fish.


This is a Lotus pod of the Nelumbo species which i bought for only RM0.50/ from the Tanjung Tualang market.
The Lotus seeds are used in most Chinese cuisine, traditional medicine, dessert and mostly sold shelled or in dried form.
To eat it fresh, break the individual green seeds out of the cone shaped Lotus pod head.

The fresh green Lotus seed with it's skin peeled.

Before eating it, crack it into half- remove the thin membrane and the bitter green germ in the middle-the fresh Lotus seed was crunchy with a nutty flavor, some sweetness and nutritious too!

Do try it, if you have the chance.

13 comments:

Unknown said...
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Unknown said...

hello!


www.ozguluntarifleri.com

Sugar Bean said...

Ooo, you can eat it straightaway without cooking it? I didn't know about it... Would love to try it someday.

Would love to have it in my tong shui.

Selba said...

At my mom's roof garden, there are lotus, usually mom uses it just for flower arrangement, didn't know that we can eat it directly... I'll give it a try ;)

Ciki said...

i love this ! love the cloying unripe, sweet taste of the white body.. and that green bit i tell ya.. bloody bitter! i ate it as a kid- nearly died. thought me not to eat the centre again :D

-j- said...

i've not tried the fresh ones. only eated the ones that are cooked. don't even know if the markets in penang sells it.

foodbin said...

OZGULUN TARIFLERI-welcome hope you enjoy like it.
SBean-you should try it.
Selba-if it homegrown-more organic lol!
CUMI&ampCIKI-I had the same experience too!
Duckie-it might be available.

Little Inbox said...

Me too, never know it can be taken raw.

choi yen said...

Always have it when I was a child :P

foodbin said...

LInbox-you must try it.
Mimid3vils-good eh!

Unknown said...

I always take the dry one and never take the fresh one before. How's the taste between fresh and dry?

foodbin said...

FParadise-the fresh ones have a hint of sweetness and crunchy while the dried ones have to be boil and cook with some sugar syrup to complement it.

CK Lam said...

Used to see them in markets and bus station but no longer available in most places now.