Basic Use and Preparation

Lotus root is used for both sweet and savory dishes. It can be deep-fried to make delicate lacy-looking chips or battered and then deep-fried for tempura. Lotus root can be blanched and pickled, used in salads, stir-fried, braised, simmered with other vegetables, or added to soups. On the sweet side, it can be grated and added to cakes, muffins, or cookies for crunch. It can also be candied and served as a snack or as a garnish for cakes or other desserts.

To prepare lotus root, cut or break into sections at the narrow joints. Trim off and discard the joints that connected them. Wash the links, using a vegetable brush to remove any clinging dirt and then rinse under cool running water. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the thin skin. The flesh will discolor once it is cut, so have a bowl of acidulated water handy (water with a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice added). Slice crosswise with a knife or mandoline. Depending on the recipe, lotus root may need to be blanched or parboiled before it is pickled, stir-fried, braised, or used in a salad.