{"id":5931,"date":"2025-03-25T00:14:30","date_gmt":"2025-03-24T15:14:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yasai-yakuzen.com\/?p=5931"},"modified":"2026-09-07T18:13:47","modified_gmt":"2026-09-07T09:13:47","slug":"lotus-seed","status":"publish","type":"vegtable","link":"https:\/\/yasai-yakuzen.com\/en\/vegtable\/lotus-seed\/","title":{"rendered":"The benefits of lotus seed"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lotus seed is held to replenish the Spleen and Kidney and settle the mind. It suits times when the digestive system is weak, or when you feel emotionally unsteady, in particular. Added to a soup, a stir-fry or porridge, it makes a nourishing dish that settles body and mind.<\/p>\n

\"Lotus<\/figure>\n

When lotus seed is harvested, the kinds, and how to choose<\/h2>\n

If you want to bring in what lotus seed does, deliciously, knowing when it is harvested, what it is, the kinds and how to choose makes it easier to use. With a floury texture much like chestnut or lily bulb, it sits well in everything from cooking to desserts. Lotus seed comes broadly in these kinds.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
kinds<\/th>\nWhat stands out<\/th>\nMain uses<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Fresh lotus seed<\/td>\nJuicy freshly picked (mostly traded in the growing areas)<\/td>\nAs it is, or in dressed dishes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dried lotus seed<\/td>\nAvailable all year, rehydrated for use<\/td>\nPorridge, soups, desserts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Renshishin (the central germ)<\/td>\nGreen, and strongly bitter<\/td>\nRemoved, or used for tea to make the most of the bitterness<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n

It ripens from summer into autumn, after the lotus flowers<\/h3>\n

Lotus seed is the seed that forms in the honeycomb-like receptacle after the summer lotus flower drops. It is harvested roughly August to September, and most of what is sold has had the seeds taken out, the outer coat removed and been dried. Chinese and Vietnamese lotus seed dominates the food trade, and dried seed is available in Japan all year. The underground stem of the same lotus plant is the well-known lotus root. The lotus is a plant where both seed and root can be eaten, and each part is processed for use, as with lotus root powder<\/a>, made by grinding lotus root finely.<\/p>\n

The central germ, renshishin, is bitter<\/h3>\n

At the centre of a lotus seed sits a small green germ. This is called renshishin and is strongly bitter. Shop-bought dried lotus seed usually has it already removed, but where it remains, splitting the seed in half and taking it out keeps the dish from turning bitter. In sweet dishes such as confectionery and porridge, removing it makes the taste come together more easily. The green germ itself is sometimes used for renshin tea, making the most of the bitterness, so drying it rather than discarding it means nothing is wasted.<\/p>\n

How to choose dried lotus seed and how to rehydrate it<\/h3>\n

When choosing dried lotus seed, ones even in size with little splitting or chipping cook evenly. Rehydrate it before cooking, as follows.<\/p>\n