People's hearts are full of joy when it comes to "Fankou bream" and "Bahe lotus root". Where is its beauty? Why is the lotus root delicious here? In fact, not all the lotus roots produced in Bahe area are delicious, and all the delicious lotus roots come from Sesame Lake. Sesame Lake is located nearly ten miles north of Bahe Town, Xishui County, with the Yangtze River in the south and Bashui in the west. Fiona Fang covers an area of 1000 mu. Surrounded by mountains, the lake mud is deep and fertile. In the past, the dams here often burst, and rivers and flash floods rushed into the lake, but the lotus roots in the lake were still bright. The people by the lake endowed this strange scene with beautiful myths. According to legend, a long time ago, a crane with red crown and white feathers, including a lotus seed, flew from the South China Sea and wanted to plant fairy seeds on the banks of the Yellow River. I don't want to. When passing by, I was attracted by the picturesque Sesame Lake and said in surprise, "Good!" The shiny green lotus seeds fell into the lake. Strange to say, the lake was green and ethereal the next spring and lingered for several months. In autumn, people go fishing by the lake, but they get lotus roots as white as jade and put them in their mouths, which are very sweet and crisp.
The lotus root in Sesame Lake is different from the common lotus root. The common lotus root is cylindrical, with yellow skin, hairy joints and astringent taste when eaten raw. The lotus root of Sesame Lake is square with gentle grooves on its surface. The skin is white, moist as tender jade, and free from rust. Stored for ten and a half months, the color remains unchanged. Each lotus root has three sections, and the key is thick, saving two feet each. This kind of lotus root is tender, crisp, sweet and juicy when eaten raw. Cooked food, wonderful but not black; Stewed, perishable, the soup tastes mellow and pure. If the lotus root hole is filled with glutinous rice and steamed without oil or salt, it will have a special flavor.
Lotus root in Sesame Lake was listed as a tribute in feudal times. During Guangxu period, Xishui had a county magistrate, and every time he went to Beijing, he would use this lotus root to honor the princes. The name of this lotus root is also in Cixi's menu. During the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression period, the Japanese packed it and shipped it back to the island country. In the1970s, Japanese who came to Beijing even asked for Bahe lotus root! Of course, it is worth studying why sesame lake can produce such sweet lotus roots.
/kloc-before 0/958, the annual output of fresh lotus root in Sesame Lake was 2000 tons. Later, due to the reclamation around the lake, the lotus root suffered bad luck. In recent years, the surrounding brigades have returned to the lake, and sesame lotus roots have been reborn. Some local chefs also conducted some experiments on how to eat Bahe lotus root, and "honey lotus root" was compiled into "Hubei menu". (Huanggang)
The protection scope of geographical indication products of Bahe Lotus Root covers the administrative areas under the jurisdiction of six villages, namely Gaohu Village, Xuzui Village, Wanshou Village, Bi 'er Village, Jianglin Village and Bifeng Village, in the waters of Sesame Lake in Bahe Town, Xishui County, Hubei Province.