Lotus root is a commonly used root vegetable in Asian cuisines. Sourced from the lotus flower plant, this vegetable is potato-like in appearance with a rough exterior and a crunchy, white, starchy interior. This comprehensive guide includes all my pro chef tips on this mildly nutty, sweet, and crunchy vegetable that's incredibly versatile to cook with. Whether you’re making a soup, stir-fry, or just sautéeing it as a side dish, it won’t let you down!
As a Taiwanese-American professionally trained chef who has made many different recipes using lotus root and grew up eating many different lotus root dishes, I’m sharing all my expert tips and info here to make this vegetable a little easier to cook with.
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✨ quick facts
- name: lotus root (蓮藕) lián'ǒu is the dish’s name in Mandarin, Chinese; liân-ngāu in Taigi Taiwanese. Also called 蓮根 (liángēn) or lotus stem, with 根 meaning “stem.” Renkon (れんこん) in Japanese, 연근 (yeongeun) in Korean.
- origin: Asia, Australia, parts of the Middle East, and New Guinea
- storage time: when adequately stored, fresh lotus root can stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
- can be found: raw and unpeeled, raw peeled, sliced, and vacuum packed, or frozen. The powder version is sold in the pantry aisle as well.
- uses: when fresh, it can be used in soups (like pork rib lotus root soup), stir-fried, marinated, or served as a cold side dish or salad, etc. In powder form (made from dried root), it’s used to make pastes or can be added to soups, teas, and pastries. Lotus seeds (also sold dried) can be added to soups and stews, and make delicious filling for pastries like mooncakes.
🪷 what is lotus root
It's actually the stem of the lotus flower plant - nelumbo nucifera - a perennial that grows underground in water. Its edible rhizome (stem) is the delicious root vegetable I'm covering in this guide.
They grow with air pockets in them, which creates a round, sort of pinwheel pattern when cut open. The skin is rough, so you’ll want to peel it before eating it, and the internal texture is crunchy. It’s similar to a potato, except this vegetable maintains its firmer texture even when cooked.
Lotus stems are a very commonly used root vegetable in many Asian cuisines. In Taiwan, Japan, and China, it’s used both raw and cooked. It’s used for everything from soup to stir-fries or steamed and simply dressed as a snack or side dish.
💭 what does it taste like
Lotus root is similar to potatoes in the sense that they’re both starchy, have a rough exterior, and have a crunchy interior when raw. They also taste similar, except the lotus root has a crispier texture - even when cooked.
It's like cooking potato slices that don’t turn soft and have a more mellow flavor (perfect for Taiwanese hotpot). The taste is mildly sweet with a nutty flavor, but overall pretty mild. That's why it complements other ingredients well.
When cooked, it has a smooth buttery undertone. It also absorbs the flavors it’s cooked with, especially when simmered in soups and stews.
Use it to add a delightfully crunchy texture that’s somewhere between water chestnut, raw potato, and jicama.
✨ why you’ll love it
This vegetable is truly underrated. It's easy to prepare and works with a variety of dishes. Due to its mild flavor and interesting shape, you can get really creative when using it in a recipe.
🔥 how to cook
Lotus root is versatile! There’s no shortage of cooking methods or uses - you can do pretty much anything to it. Here are a few of my favorite ways to enjoy it (along with a visual guide for you to reference)!
different ways to enjoy lotus root
- as a cold side dish or salad - peeled and thinly sliced, then mixed with a chili crisp sauce and aromatics like garlic, ginger, and cilantro
- as a fried snack - when fresh and thinly sliced, it can be air-fried or baked into crispy chips and seasoned or served with a flavorful dipping sauce.
- steamed and stuffed with sticky rice (glutinous rice) - an elegant way to serve it, this method has been used in many Buddhist temples. You can cook sticky rice and create different colors using different vegetable or fruit powders and add a different color of rice into each hole of the root.
- in soups and hotpot - my favorite way to use it since it’s simple and tastes good. I add ½-inch thick slices to Taiwanese hotpot and also to different soups like this simple Taiwanese soup with pork ribs.
- stir-fried - when thinly sliced or julienned, it can be quickly stir-fried by itself or with other vegetables like carrots, celery, and aromatics.
- pickled - use a quick-pickling liquid to make a crisp, tangy, spicy, and sweet side dish.
- made into a paste - mix the powder with water to create a paste and season it to your preference. Or add to batter for baked goods.
- added to tea - You can also whisk the powder into tea.
- braised - add to braised dishes like you would a potato, though it can be cooked a lot longer without losing its crispness.
- steamed and simply sauced - when short on time, you can make a satisfying hot dish by steaming slices and mixing garlic, ginger, soy sauce, fresh Thai chili (optional), and a little bit of sugar.
🍲 lotus root soup
This easy soup is made with pork ribs and a handful of nourishing ingredients. Its clear broth is surprisingly flavorful. You'll want to have this one in your back pocket!
🛒 where to buy and how to pick
Fresh lotus root can be found at local Taiwanese, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean grocery stores (such as 99 Ranch, Mitsuwa, Marukai, Tokyo Central, H Mart, etc.) and online at stores like Weee!. The stems are usually sold unpeeled as individual sections or can come in 2-3 sections like a sausage.
Pre-peeled and sliced versions are also in the refrigerated aisles, though this version lacks the sweetness that fresh ones have.
Frozen slices can be found in the frozen aisle and online on Amazon (paid link) or Weee!.
The powdered form is usually in the dried goods aisle (where you can find beans and dried herbs) or online (paid link).
how to pick the best fresh lotus root
Get a good look and feel for the lotus root to determine its freshness. Here are the four key characteristics that you’ll want to keep an eye out for.
- thickness - thicker and rounder stems show that it's more mature and will have more sweetness.
- outer layer - fresh lotus root found in U.S. grocery stores are usually rinsed whereas ones found in Asian may still be covered in dirt. The peel has a light golden brown color with dots (similar to a yukon gold potato, just slightly darker).
- avoid soft spots - avoid soft spots that are often dark brown or reddish. Those parts of the stems are going bad and may get moldy with time. If you purchased lotus root that now has a soft spot forming, you can cut that piece off, making sure to cut around it as well, leaving only fresh portions to cook.
- inspect the cross-section holes - the holes (air canals) within the stem can sometimes still have dirt in them. That can be easily cleaned (I show you how below). Look out for any mold though, especially if it's being sold wrapped in plastic at the grocery stores. Larger holes also mean it'll be juicier, though the difference isn't too noticeable when cooked.
💦 how to clean
If needed, take the extra step to clean it well to avoid getting dirt particles in your final dish. It's pretty quick and totally worth it!
Rinse the lotus root under cold water to clean the surface before peeling.
chef's tip 1
Use a boba straw cleaner brush (paid link) to clean out any dirt in the holes. This makes cleaning the canals quick and easy!
🔪 how to cut
Don't peel or cut it too far in advance of cooking since once peeled, lotus root will oxidize, like a potato.
Peel the lotus root. A sharp vegetable peeler (paid link – this is my favorite one) or a metal spoon both work since the peel is thin.
For soups, stews, braised dishes, or steamed dishes, cut into ¼-inch to ½-inch (6-13mm) thick round slices.
For cold side dishes, salads, stir-fries, or frying, cut into ⅛-inch to ¼-inch thin round slices.
chef's tip 2
If you’ve peeled and cut the lotus root early, you can store the slices in a container and cover them with cold water to prevent them from oxidizing (turning color).
💭 pro tips
As a chef, I’ve worked in many restaurants and professional kitchens where I got incredible experience working with lotus root. Here are my top pro tips.
- Don’t let it oxidize – This is super important. If you’ve peeled and cut the lotus root early, make sure to store the slices in a container and cover them with cold water to prevent them from oxidizing (turning color).
- Easy cleaning tip – Since it's usually harvested by hand, the holes can sometimes retain dirt/soil. I like to use a straw cleaning brush to easily scrub inside those hard-to-reach spots under running cold water. That way, even longer ones can be thoroughly cleaned.
- Layer your textures and flavors – Since it's mild in flavor yet satisfyingly crisp, use it to add texture to a dish. Cook it with different vegetables, proteins, oils, aromatics, spices, and even broth to add a subtle sweetness.
For example, many Taiwanese soups use only a handful of ingredients to make a flavorful soup. Lotus root cooked with pork spare ribs, garlic, ginger, and water results in a light yet flavorful clear broth.
The subtle sweetness of this vegetable along with simple seasonings, like a dash of ground white pepper and salt, help to round out the flavors.
❄️ storage
You’ll want to store it in different ways depending on if it’s washed, cut, or cooked.
- If you have a whole unwashed lotus root, you can store it at room temperature (in a cool, dry area) for a few days before using it. You can also wrap it in a damp paper towel and store it in the refrigerator.
- If the lotus root has been peeled/sliced, store it in an airtight container covered in cold water to prevent it from oxidizing. Use as soon as possible.
- If you’re storing cooked lotus root, it will keep for a couple of days in the fridge in an airtight container.
💭 faq
You can eat raw lotus root, but I prefer to steam it even when eaten cold. When raw, this vegetable ranges from slightly bitter to bitter depending on the maturity of the plant. If it’s not too bitter, you can peel, slice, and chop up lotus root to add some crunch to salads, or just to enjoy as a snack with some light dressing. However, most people will cook it as it’s better tasting (cooking brings out the sweetness) and easier on your digestion that way (that's my dietitian brain talking).
If your lotus root turned brown, that means it oxidized. You probably peeled and cut the root too early so it was exposed to air for a bit too long. If you don't mind the color change, you can still use it in soups/stews or a stir-fry.
The cook time will vary based on the recipe. Luckily, lotus root holds its shape and texture well and can be steamed, simmered, or boiled for as little as 5 minutes or simmered in a soup for up to 30 minutes. It’s a very versatile veggie!
💭 final expert thoughts
I hope you’ve found this intro to lotus root helpful and informational! I know many of us enjoyed dishes with lotus root as children but grew up not knowing how to prepare it. My goal is to help you reintroduce this nostalgic vegetable into your cooking.
Which recipe are you inspired to make?
Comment below to let me know. Enjoy this sweet, crispy, and versatile ingredient!
Happy cooking! ~ Cindy 周昀
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🥢 recipes with lotus root
Some of my favorite recipes using this ingredient. It also works well as an add-on or substitute in soups like the sesame oil chicken soup below.
share your thoughts below. let's chat at the kitchen table: