Ingredient of the month: February

Lotus

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. High in fibre, vitamin C and potassium, the lotus gives us seeds for cooking, stems for salads, leaves for flavouring and wrapping – and flowers for decoration.

The seeds are used extensively in China both for food and in medicines. They can be eaten raw, cooked like popcorn or boiled down into a paste to use as a base for sauces, soups, pastries and cakes. Lotus seeds are often used in wedding cakes to symbolise fertility for the couple.