My hometown, Baoying, Jiangsu, is located in the Lixiahe area of ??northern Jiangsu. Here there is a dense network of rivers, with the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal running through the north and south, and five lakes intertwining with each other.

In years of production practice, the people in my hometown have cultivated lotus root, a high-yielding, high-quality agricultural and sideline product that is the most representative of their hometown.

According to relevant county departments, Baoying's lotus roots account for about one-half of the national output, so it has been awarded the reputation of "Hometown of Lotus Roots" by relevant national departments.

I remember one year when I was traveling to a summer resort, the tour guide pointed to a lotus root field (about a few dozen acres) by the Rehe River and said proudly, how big the area was and how beautiful the scenery was. We all burst into laughter when we thought of the lotus root fields in our hometown. This tour guide

I’m afraid I’ve never seen Baoying’s 10,000 acres of lotus root fields in my life.

There are too many poems by literati in the past dynasties describing Baoying lotus roots and lotus flowers. The poet Chu Sizong of the Tang Dynasty said in his "Su Fan Shui": Where I miss my hometown so much, I can hear the sound of singing and picking lotuses.

It depicts the beautiful scenery of a water town with fishing boats singing in the evening and boats picking lotuses.

Qiao Lai's "The silkworms are wrapped around the green leaves, and the lotuses cover the spring to send people away"; Qiao Dahong's "There are lotuses for ten miles, and they are lost at the mouth of the stream"; Zhu Wen's "Frost rice fields are like sickles like the moon, and the wind is full of lotuses"

The lotus root is like a boat"; Wang Sunjin's "Where is the man fishing with bare feet, and whose daughter is selling lotus root with bare hands", all exude the fragrance and elegance of the land of lotus roots.

There is also a poem that says: There are two orchids in the fragrance of lotus, and a grass pavilion in the shade of willows. It is really appropriate and amazing.

In the "Zongchao Garden", the largest garden in Baoying, there is a "Pure Hall with Deep Bamboo and Lotus", which is based on Du Fu's meaning of "Deep Bamboo is a guest place, and lotus is pure to enjoy the cool".

Most people in Baoying are only deeply impressed by two of them, both by Yang Wanli: The spring is silent and trickling, the water is clear and soft under the shade of the tree, the little lotus has just revealed its sharp corners, and a dragonfly has already stood on it.

Another song is: After all, in June, the scenery of West Lake is different from that of the four seasons. The lotus leaves touching the sky are infinitely green, and the lotus flowers reflecting the sun are uniquely red.

According to relevant experts, lotus root is rich in protein, fat, carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, iron and other trace elements, vitamins and minerals.

Raw lotus root has the functions of eliminating blood stasis and clearing away heat, relieving irritability and quenching thirst, clearing the mind and calming the nerves, stopping bleeding (nosebleeds, hematuria, hematochezia, uterine bleeding, etc.), and resolving phlegm.

After the raw lotus root is cooked, its nature changes from cool to warm, and it has the effects of nourishing the stomach, nourishing yin, replenishing blood, and stopping diarrhea.

Because it is rich in dietary fiber, it is also very beneficial for treating constipation and promoting the excretion of harmful substances.

Due to its abundant produce and traditional eating habits, it is deeply loved by the people in its hometown.

Every year when new lotus roots come on the market, they become a delicacy in thousands of households.

Over the years, due to continuous inheritance and innovation, Baoying has also formed a unique lotus root food culture.

Lotus root, as well as lotus flowers, lotus seeds, and lotus root powder can be used as raw materials for cooking. They can be eaten raw, stir-fried, fried, and brewed in a variety of ways.

The whole lotus root banquet made of Weiyang famous dishes such as candied beaten lotus root, lotus root flour dumplings, fried lotus root folders, fried lotus root cakes, glutinous rice and rotten lotus root is even more famous at home and abroad.

In particular, the candied lotus root is sweet and crispy, thick but not greasy, and makes people salivate.

Unfortunately, due to the complicated craftsmanship, few people have passed down this famous dish. Restaurants are afraid of making it, and ordinary people don’t know how to cook it. So most people rarely eat this famous dish. This can’t but be said to be a pity for the people in the land of lotus roots.

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The follow-up products of lotus root include salt water lotus root series, preserved lotus root, instant lotus root powder, lotus root juice, lotus leaf beverage and so on.

In particular, white lotus root powder has the characteristics of "pure, white, thin, and large". It was used as an imperial dietary supplement in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It has the reputation of "goose feather snow flakes" and is famous at home and abroad.

Lotus root has formed an industrial chain from planting, processing and exporting in my hometown. It is an important pillar of green agricultural and sideline products in our county and one of the important agricultural and sideline income for farmers.

When it comes to how to eat lotus root, we have to talk more about fried lotus root clips.

Fried lotus root sandwich is to cut the lotus root into about 5 mm slices, then cut a knife from the middle of the lotus root slice without breaking it like a clip, then fill the middle of the sandwich with minced meat, spread the outside with flour, fry it in a pan and eat it.

Those who are fastidious can add diced mushrooms, diced bamboo shoots, shrimps, etc. to the minced meat, which is really wonderful.

Everyone who lives outside Baoying misses this fried lotus root sandwich.

Around the Mid-Autumn Festival, this dish is served in restaurants and at home. It is made from local materials and has no formality; you can make it for your own entertainment and enjoy it.

What people in my hometown talk about most is the customs and customs related to lotus roots.

Children eat lotus root, which means they have many pores and are smart; businessmen eat lotus root, which means they will have a smooth road and make money; it describes the relationship between people, and the lotus root will break the connection, etc.

Especially during the Mid-Autumn Festival, every household will buy lotus roots with large and small branches (commonly known as lotus seeds) to worship the moon, which means that the family will be full of descendants and the family will be prosperous.

Dear relatives, I hope that the whole family will be harmonious, happy, safe and healthy.

Lotus root brings endless joy and hope to the people in my hometown.

I love you, the treasure of my hometown is the treasure; I like you, the treasure of the lotus root.