I prefer to eat lotus root. Although my hometown is rich in lotus root, I have never been sure about the season when lotus root comes into the market. I thought lotus root was a summer vegetable. I wanted to make cold lotus root slices in the dog days, but I always couldn't buy lotus root. Now I finally know that lotus root is listed in autumn.

As the saying goes, "Autumn lotus root is the most nourishing", which is rich in nutrition and has many benefits to human body. Recently, there are many fresh lotus roots on the market, and the price is also cheap, 3~5 yuan a catty, which is delicious regardless of cold salad or stew. Autumn is relatively dry, and lotus root has the function of nourishing yin and moistening dryness, so you must eat more lotus root in autumn, which can strengthen the spleen and stomach, benefit blood and promote granulation and enhance immunity.

Lotus root can be cooked in many ways, such as cold salad, stir-fried, stewed soup, steamed food, etc. Its taste is crisp and delicious. However, the lotus root cooked by some people is not delicious, it is not crisp when it is crisp, and it is not noodles when it is noodles.

this has nothing to do with the practice, but the lotus root itself. Lotus root is divided into "crisp lotus root" and "flour lotus root". If you buy it wrong, you can't do it well.

In supermarkets or vegetable markets, we see piles of lotus roots. It seems that there is no difference, but there is a big difference. I'll talk to you today. My fourth uncle is a professional lotus root digger. He can dig more than 1, kilograms of lotus roots in one day and earn more than 1, yuan a month. He knows lotus roots very well. He taught me some skills to distinguish lotus roots. I'll share them with you today. Let's collect them quickly.

The lotus root digger teaches you how to choose "crisp lotus root" and "flour lotus root"

Skills 1. The number of lotus root holes

From the appearance, the lotus root looks similar, but there are many lotus root holes inside. My hometown compares the lotus root holes to the mind's eye, and the "mind's eye" of crisp lotus root is more than that of flour lotus root.

When counting lotus root holes, just count the big holes, not counting the small holes. Crispy lotus root has 9 big holes, commonly known as nine-hole lotus root. The noodle lotus root has seven big holes, commonly known as seven-hole lotus root.

My home is in the south, and most of the lotus roots produced are seven-hole lotus roots, which contain a lot of starch and less water. They can be pulled for a long time, and when cooked, they will look better.

Nine-hole lotus root is mostly produced in the north, which contains a lot of water, but little starch, so it tastes crisp and tastes sweet when eaten raw.

tip 2, the color of lotus root

according to my experience of eating lotus root for so many years, the color of lotus root is dull, usually waxy yellow or khaki, with rough skin and some pockmarks to the touch, and it is light pink after peeling off the skin.

However, the crispy lotus root looks white, its skin is smooth and there are almost no pockmarks, and the meat is still white after peeling.

tip 3. the shape of lotus root

lotus root generally has 3~5 nodes, and the longest node is 7 nodes. If it is a lotus root, the length of each node is short, about 1 cm, and it is relatively thick, with a diameter of 1 cm. If the slice is too big, it is usually cut into pieces.

However, each node of crisp lotus root is slender, generally about 15 cm, with a diameter of about 6 cm, so cutting lotus root slices is just right.

In addition, starch is a macromolecule, and flour lotus root contains more starch, which will be heavier than crisp lotus root in the same size, so you can weigh it by hand. In addition, crisp lotus root is tender, and it can pinch water with nails; However, the flour lotus root has less water and feels harder when pinched.

Different cooking methods

In my hometown, lotus root is usually stewed in soup, and there is a famous dish called "Lotus Root Rib Soup". The stewed lotus root has special noodles, which are more delicious than ribs, and the noodles are used. In addition to stew, you can also make sweet-scented osmanthus glutinous rice lotus root, which tastes soft.

Crispy lotus root tastes crisp, so it is suitable for cold salad, stir-frying, fried lotus root clips, etc., or it can be eaten directly in hot pot or barbecue, which is crisp and tasty.

Therefore, when buying lotus roots, you must choose lotus roots according to the appropriate cooking methods.

-say a few words with a big mouth-

Many people are "value-controlled" and like to buy clean lotus roots, which are called "clean lotus roots" in the supermarket, and the price is relatively expensive. In fact, it is better to buy lotus root with some mud. Although it is not good-looking, it is fresher than clean lotus root, and it has a long shelf life and is not easy to break. If you find that the lotus root hole is black or muddy, it is not good lotus root, so don't buy it cheaply.

to buy lotus roots, it is best to choose lotus roots with knots at both ends, which have better sealing performance, cleaner interior and better quality.