Travelling down the roads towards the Red Lotus Lake there were many stalls selling these green flower pod heads I noticed them and wondered what these were and assumed for eating as much of what I see locally which is unknown to me is in fact eaten in one way or another…

Once out on the boat on this beautiful wetlands and seeing lots of these flower pods the boatman told us after picking one for us and encouraging us to try the seed that they were eaten and used widely here and indeed locally the residents were allowed to pick them for free and use or sell..hence all the roadside stalls.

It is that time of year and I am now seeing them on almost every street corner and market to buy as the flower head pods or a bag ready seeded for you.

The seeds can are eaten roasted, fried or raw and grown all over S/E Asia the scientific name is Nelumbo Nucifera.

Low in sodium and high in magnesium they are an ideal snack for suffers from heart disease, High B.P or obesity.

Used in traditional medicine and administered as a soup  it is believed to be both nutritious and clear heat( lower temperature)

Crystallised seeds are a very popular snack, especially at New Year celebrations as are the very popular Chines Mooncakes which are sold everywhere across Asia.

Note: Dried seeds must be soaked in water overnight before using in soups or congee.

 To eat the fresh seeds the pod head is broken and the seeds snapped out.

Lotus seeds are also made into Lotus seed paste and used extensively in Chinese pastries and Japanese desserts.

The lotus seed paste is very easy to make and is the filling for the Chinese Mooncakes. This video shows you step by step how easy it is to make.

I hope you have enjoyed this post on the lotus seeds and here is a link which gives the numerous great health benefits these seeds have.

https://www.naturalfoodseries.com/13-health-benefits-lotus-seeds/

Thank you for reading and enjoy  your weekend xx