Crystallized lotus seeds ( 蓮 子 糖), made by drying lotus seeds cooked in syrup, are a common Chinese snack, especially during Chinese new year. Fresh lotus seeds are sold in the seed heads of the plant and eaten by breaking the individual seeds out of the cone-shaped head and removing the rubbery shell. They can then be added directly to soups and congee or used in other dishes. The most common use of the seed is in the form of lotus seed paste ( 蓮 蓉), which is used extensively in Chinese pastries as well as in Japanese desserts.ĭried lotus seeds must be soaked in water overnight prior to use. The seeds contain B vitamins in rich content, particularly thiamin at 43% of the Daily Value (DV), and numerous dietary minerals, such as manganese (116% DV) and phosphorus (63% DV). In a 100 gram reference amount, dried lotus seeds supply 332 calories and contain 64% carbohydrates, 2% fat, 15% protein, and 14% water. However, some sellers of dried lotus seeds bleach their products with hydrogen peroxide, sodium hydroxide, or other chemicals. The germ of these hard seeds is removed by cracking the seeds in half.ĭried lotus seeds past their prime oxidize to a yellow brown color. Brown peel lotus seeds are brown because the ripened seed has adhered to its membrane. At harvest, the bitter-tasting germ of most seeds is removed using a hollow needle. White lotus seeds are de-shelled and de-membraned. The former is harvested when the seed head of the lotus is ripe or nearly ripe and the latter is harvested when the seed head is still fully green but with almost fully developed seeds. Two types of dried lotus seeds can be found commercially brown peel and white. Dried lotus seeds snack for sale in Thailand
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