Ingredient of the month

A common ingredient in sauces, soups and the mooncakes eaten at the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, the lotus is a water plant with many health benefits.

Also known as black flossy moss, black moss or black hair, its fine threads unsurprisingly resemble hair and are tasteless.
 

Tastier than they sound, these thin noodles are named for their transparent, glassy appearance when boiled.