Vegetables
Lotus Root
A tan segmented underground stem whose cut surface has a distinctive ring of regular holes.
- 繁體中文
- 蓮藕
- English
- Lotus Root
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Akar Teratai / Lotus Root (蓮藕)
- Tagalog
- Lotus Root (蓮藕)
What is it?
Lotus root is the Hong Kong market name for 蓮藕, the edible underground stem of the lotus plant.
How to identify it
Look for a thick short cylinder with jointed segments and tan-brown skin; slices show a ring of large holes around smaller central holes.
- Thick jointed segments
- Tan-brown outer skin
- Regular ring of holes in the cut surface
Common confusion
Lotus root has regular holes in every slice; daikon has a solid white cut surface.
Common Hong Kong household uses
Commonly used in soup, sliced stir-fries and braises.
Preparation or handling
Wash off soil under running water, peel, cut open and rinse any remaining mud from the holes.
Storage
Keep whole pieces dry and refrigerated; wrap cut pieces, refrigerate and use soon.
Helper tip
Check the holes of cut lotus root for trapped dark mud, mould or an off-odour.
What Ma’am or Sir may say
買兩節蓮藕煲湯，切面要乾淨。The employer wants two firm lotus-root segments with clean holes for soup.
Useful market phrase
唔該要兩節實淨蓮藕。