We had a fun pot-luck style lunch today while we recorded a dance video here in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. I brought a big chick pea salad, a green salad and a bread stick. Our host made amazing pasta and a cake, And our Lisu friend, Mimi, brought lotus flowers to snack on. I do love the incredibly diverse gourmet food culture here!
The lotus seed heads are what's left after the lotus has flowered. The petals fall off and the seed head remains to mature. This lotus flower in our garden was a small one - you can see the immature seed head in the center.
A big lotus flower can easily measure 8-12 inches across in full bloom, and they are everywhere in the monsoonal rainy season. The bunch of lotus seed heads Mimi brought today? 15 baht (about USD $0.50).
What to do with them???
First you push the seeds out of the spongy material they are cradled in.
And then peel the seed....
And eat.
How does it taste? It has the texture of a raw peanut with a tiny herbal edge.
Lotus seeds are prized not only for their unique flavour but for their natural medicine properties; they're often toasted and used for all manner of snack foods and gourmet dishes. But the purists eat them raw.
Lotus seed is prized in Asia for its anti-aging benefits. They contain a specific enzyme which is legendary for enhancing skin health, beauty, vitality and maintaining a youthful complexion.
L-isoaspartyl methyltransferase is the enzyme that assists the repairing and maintenance of the damaged proteins and boosting collagen synthesis within the body. Lotus seeds in powdered form is now being added to various cosmetics to reverse the process of aging skin as well as diminish the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. Source
Lotus seeds are exceptionally high in magnesium and folate, making them invaluable for heart health and pregnant women.
Lotus seeds also contain isoquinoline alkaloids. What does that mean? These alkaloids are calming and antispasmodic and particularly assist in the dilation of blood vessels, which promotes relaxation: the practical application of that is to help alleviate depression and anxiety and promote better sleep.
Lotus seeds help regulate insulin response in the body, which maintains and steadies glucose levels in the bloodstream. They are very much a go-to snack (yummy when roasted!) for people with diabetes.
In a November 2016 study published in Molecules, researchers found that lotus seeds have significant inhibitory effects on cancer cells in both human and animal models. Their findings also revealed improved immune responses in mice with tumors. The researchers believe that lotus seeds may be of use to control cancerous tumors. Source
In Traditional Chinese Medicine lotus seeds are called Lian Zi (莲子) and are considered neutral in nature, sour & sweet, and related to the spleen, heart and kidney meridians.
Common TCM formulas in which lotus seeds are used:
-For diarrhea and loose stools resulting from Spleen and Stomach Deficiency combine lotus seeds with yam (Shan Yao).
-For Kidney Deficiency with symptoms of leukorrhea and seminal emissions combine lotus seeds with cuscuta seeds (Tu Si Zi) and foxnut seeds (Qian Shi).
-For irritability, restlessness, nervous anxiety and insomnia combine lotus seeds with lily bulbs (Bai He), glehnia roots (Bei Sha Shen), jujube seeds (Suan Zao Ren), biota seeds (Bo Zi Ren) and poria-cocos mushrooms (Fu Ling).
-For Yin and Blood deficiency with vaginal discharge, cloudy and dribbling urine combine lotus seeds with ginkgo nuts (Bai Guo) and foxnut seeds (Qian Shi).
-For deficiency in the Lower Burner with watery vaginal discharge combine lotus seeds with ginkgo nuts (Bai Guo). Source
And this was easily and cheaply purchased from a local Thai market vendor and added to our potluck lunch simply as a snack. Just so much to love about Thailand!
We chatted about lotus seeds over lunch and I promised to share my knowledge, as honestly, so many people who live here SEE them everywhere in the monsoonal season but have NO IDEA what they're for, how they taste and how to eat them.
Pro Tip: they're DELICIOUS lightly roasted - just toss them around in a hot dry wok for a few minutes over low heat, and then let them cool.
BlissednBlessed, Nourished & Healthy
All images used in my posts are created and owned by myself, unless specifically sourced. If you wish to use my images or my content, please contact me.
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