Lotus Root

APPEARANCE: This vegetable looks like stiff strings of fat sausages. The sections measure 2 to 3 inches in diameter, come in two lengths (short, 3 to 4 inches; and long, 6 to 10 inches), and are separated from each other by narrow “necks” whence leaf shoots emerge. They are quite hard, usually encrusted with pond mud, and — when seen in cross section — full of holes.

QUALITY: Examine lotus roots carefully, despite the mud, searching for soft spots and/or any sort of perforations in the skin. Soft spots suggest decay while perforations allow the mud inside; both conditions render the root virtually inedible. The sections elongate with age; hence the short sections are younger and usually more tender.