Aquatic Ingredients Horseshoe is the rhizome.

The scientific name for horseshoe is water chestnut, which is a perennial herb in the genus Water chestnut of the family Salix. It is 15-60 cm tall; culms tufted, terete; flowering spikelets terete, with many flowers; nutlets broadly obovate, biconvex. Water chestnut is mainly divided into 2 major types: wild type and cultivated type. Generally, the wild type of water chestnut has thinner and shorter leafy stems and smaller bulbs; the cultivated type of water chestnut has thicker and taller leafy stems and larger bulbs.

The domestication and cultivation of water chestnut is relatively late, the earliest on the cultivation of water chestnut is found in the two Song Dynasty ancient books. Water chestnut growth adaptability is strong, in foreign countries, water chestnut mainly wild distribution in southeast Asia, America, Europe and Oceania and other countries in the pond, mudflat and other low-lying areas, distributed in the western countries of the water chestnut in about the 17th century introduced.

Water chestnuts in ancient times as a fruit to eat, in the year of famine is used to feed the people, the Ming Dynasty Wang Pan, Wang Hongyi have said this; water chestnut juice sweet, nutritious, in addition to raw food, hot food can be made into a variety of meat and vegetarian dishes; water chestnut is also a flavor of Chinese medicine, its seedlings, roots, fruits can be used as medicine.

Precautions for making water chestnuts

1, cleaning: soak water chestnuts in water for a few moments, then rinse thoroughly with water. This will remove surface dirt and impurities.

2. Peel: Use a knife to carefully peel off the outer skin of the water chestnuts. Make sure to peel off the outer skin completely without leaving any residue.

3. Cutting: Cut the peeled water chestnuts into the size you want, either sliced, diced or shredded, according to your preference and actual need.

4, deal with blackening: After cutting the water chestnuts, you can soak them in salt water for a while to prevent them from blackening. You can also drop in a small amount of lemon juice or white vinegar, again to avoid water chestnuts turning black.

5, cooking methods: water chestnuts can be eaten raw or cooked. When eating raw, you can add cut water chestnuts to salads or juices. When cooking, it can be used for stir-frying, cooking soup, barbecuing and so on. Choose the appropriate cooking method according to different dishes and flavor needs.

6. Cooking time: The cooking time of water chestnuts should not be too long in general to keep its taste tough and refreshing and nutritional value. Stir-frying should be done quickly, and the time can be extended appropriately when cooking soup, but avoid overcooking.

7, with ingredients: water chestnuts in the cooking process can be with other ingredients, such as vegetables, meat, seafood and so on. Matching according to personal preference and dietary habits enriches the flavor and nutrition of the food.

8. Storage: Leftover water chestnuts can be stored in a sealed bag or box in the refrigerator. Try to consume them within a week after purchase to ensure the freshness and quality of consumption.

Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia - Water Chestnut