Renkon lotus root

  

Rhizome of Nelumbo nucifera

Underneath those beautiful, elegant lotus flowers and large saucer-shaped leaves, crunchy edible roots grow in the muddy water.

Hitachinokuni Fudoki, an early 8th century document of the Hitachi region (today's Ibaraki Prefecture), makes special mention of the taste and medicinal effects of starchy lotus root, saying, "growing in a swamp created by water flowing in from the heaven at the beginning of the world (in Japanese mythology), lotus roots taste incomparably delicious, and those who are ill quickly see recovery by eating them."

Lotus is often found in moats surrounding castles in Japan, and some people say it was planted as an emergency food, likely because of its high starch content and nutritious qualities, which have been known for centuries.

Lotus root is rich in Vitamin C (48 mg/100 g). For reference, one lemon contains about 50mg of Vitamin C. Although Vitamin C does not hold up well when cooked, lotus root’s high starch content protects Vitamin C from heat and retains it relatively well.
Lotus root also contains relatively high amounts of potassium (440 mg/100 g), iron (0.5 mg), copper (0.3 mg) and zinc (0.09 mg) as well as non-soluble fiber (1.8 g). With these nutrients, lotus root is effective for alleviating fatigue, preventing colds, improving skin conditions and lowering cholesterol. Another notable nutrient in lotus root is Vitamin B12, an uncommon element in vegetables that helps absorption of iron. And with its Vitamin B6 – known as a vitamin that facilitates formation of blood -- lotus root can help prevent anemia and aid liver function. 

Here is more lotus root trivia.
The sliminess of the surface of lotus root when cut or grated comes from mucin (also contained in nagaimo Chinese yam and satoimo baby taro root). which protects the wall of the stomach and promotes digestion of protein and fat.
Cut lotus root is soaked in water (often with vinegar) to prevent discoloration; the cause of this change in color is tannin, a type of polyphenol, which acts as an anti-inflammatory agent and to stop bleeding, and can be effective for prevention of stomach and duodenal ulcers.
Lectin, or sugar-binding proteins, helps immune cells called macrophages to identify pathogens.

When I was growing up, my mom always said "eat renkon" when I had problems clearing my throat. I still follow that advice today, and when I eat a lotus root dish, the problem usually disappears.

An impressive vegetable indeed.

Lotus root has about 10 holes (to circulate air) running through it, and you can see from one end to the other. Because of this characteristic, lotus root is one of the auspicious foods for celebrations, especially for the osechi New Year’s meal; lotus root lets you see your future and get a good perspective.

22 kcal/100 g; 91.8% water, 2.3% protein, 0.3% fat, 3.9% carbohydrate, 1.4% ash

Recipes with renkon

• Koyadofu no ageyaki to renkon no horenso-an / fried freeze-dried tofu and lotus root with spinach dashi sauce
• Renkon no ebi-hasami-yaki, gin-an-gake / sauteed lotus root with shrimp, with pale thickened dashi sauce
  
• Ebi no nikogori suigyoza / shrimp shui jiao dumplings 
  
• Renkon to ginnan no shiokoji kinpira / spicy lotus root and gingko nut saute
• Murasaki tamanegi to renkon no amazuzuke / red onion and lotus root in sweetened vinegar 
• Karashi renkon /deep-fried lotus root with mustard-flavored miso
• Hasumushi / steamed fish with grated lotus root, with light thickened sauce
  
• Kaisen chukadon / Chinese-style seafood saute over steamed rice 
• Iridori / chikuzen-ni / braised chicken with root vegetables
• Sakana to konsai no amazuan / fish and root vegetables with sweet and sour sauce
• Renkon no nanbansu-zuke / fried lotus root marinated in spicy soy sauce vinegar
  
• Sunappu endo to renkon, ninjin no gomaae / sugar peas, lotus root and carrot in sesame dressing
• Surenkon / subasu / lotus root marinated in sweetened rice vinegar
  
• Ebi to ginnan-iri mushi-renkon manju / steamed lotus root dumplings with prawns and gingko nuts
  
• Renkon no amazuitame / sauteed lotus root in sweetened vinegar
  
• Age-renkon dango no amakarani / deep-fried lotus root nuggets in salty-sweet sauce
• Gomoku-mame / soybeans with root vegetables in broth
• Bagna cauda
• Gobo, ninjin, renkon no kinpira / kinpira saute with burdock root, carrot and lotus root
• Konsai no gomani / root vegetables in sesame-flavored broth
• Hijiki to konsai no itameni / hijiki seaweed and root vegetables in broth

Try renkon in the following recipes

• Gomoku ankake udon / wheat noodles with thickened soup and assorted ingredients
• Chawanmushi / steamed savory custard
• Karifurawaa to satoimo, daikon, seri no surinagashi / cauliflower, baby taro root and daikon radish white miso potage soup with water dropwort 
• Oden (genen) / fishcake, tofu and root vegetable stew (reduced-sodium version)
  
• Fubaagu no shisomaki / small gluten cake burgers wrapped with perilla leaves
• Itokoni / root vegetables and azuki beans simmered in broth
• Daikon no shiso soosu-ae / daikon radish salad with green perilla dressing 
• Nasu no dengaku / eggplant with sweet miso sauce
• Sakana no oisutaasoosu-ni, howajao-iri / simmered fish in oyster sauce-flavored broth with Sichuan peppers
  
• Konsai no sakekasu misoshiru / miso soup with root vegetables and sake lees
  
• Sake to tofu no komatsuna suigyoza / shuijiao boiled dumplings with salmon and tofu in komatsuna wrappers
  
• Konsai no yooguruto misoshiru / root vegetable miso soup with yogurt
• Chirashizushi / sushi with assorted ingredients and julienned egg crepe
• Fuki no to no agebitashi / deep-fried Japanese butterbur buds marinated in light broth
• Tsukune no teriyaki / grilled chicken meatballs with teriyaki sauce
• Konsai to tofu no akadashi / red miso soup with root vegetables and tofu

(Last updated: April 27, 2019)