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Lotus seeds, called lian zi in Chinese, can be used in food as well as purely for medicine. This Chinese herb is used mainly for the spleen, heart and kidneys, but also possesses calming qualities.

The lotus flower originated in India, but was taken to China, as well as to other parts of the world, 2,000 years ago. Now it is grown on a large scale in China, with the majority of the seeds coming out of the south.

Lotus seeds are used in Chinese recipes. Lotus seeds are used in many Chinese soups and desserts. They are sweet-tasting and are a good source of protein. Lotus seeds are also eaten in the southern United States, called by the Cajun population "graine a voler," which in French means "flying seed." The name stems from the phenomenon that the seeds can actually pop out of the pods on their own as the pods dry.

Lotus seeds are calming and can assist with insomnia. One of the medicinal benefits of lotus seeds is stopping chronic diarrhea, according to Mike Adams, creator of NaturalNews.com and HerbReference.com. Subhuti Dharmananda, director of the Institute for Traditional Medicine in Portland, Oregon, says the seeds "alleviate restlessness, palpitations, and insomnia."

How to select:

Lotus seeds are commonly seen in Xiangtan markets. They are available more in areas having lotus plantations in Xiangtan. The dried ones are sold in packages in bulk and need to be soaked overnight before consumption, due to its hard textured shell.

 
The Brown colored peel seeds are harvested when the seed head is fully ripe. The seeds shell must be cracked into two halves in order to remove the bitter tasting germ. This is done at the time of harvesting.

The White peel seeds are harvested when the seed head is green and immature; but the seeds inside have ripened. Here the bitter tasting germ is removed using a hollow needle at the time of harvesting, though it may sometimes remain intact.

The Fresh Lotus seeds are green colored and sold intact with the rubbery dark green circular lotus seed coat. These can be eaten by breaking the individual seed out from the cone shaped head.

How to use

· Lotus seeds can be eaten raw either in fresh or in dried form.
· The most common use of the seed is in the form of lotus seed paste, which is     used extensively in Chinese pastries.
· The paste is also used in Japanese cuisine, as an ingredient in cakes and other dessert items as a filling.
· You can try making sauces from its paste.
· A combination of red bean and lotus seed soup can be made by boiling them together for 1 ½ hours until both become tender and then adding sugar to taste.
· The seeds can be cooked in syrup and allowed to cool to obtain crystallized seeds. These can be had during teatime instead of nuts.
· Try making Cream Lotus seed soup by boiling lotus seeds with crushed pineapple and adding corn starch to thicken the puree.