Lotus is a plant with a long history, which has been cultivated in China for more than 3,000 years, and there is a poem describing the lotus picking in the Han Dynasty Lefu poem "Jiangnan" that describes the lotus picking: "Jiangnan can pick lotus, lotus leaf He Tiantian". The distribution of lotus is relatively extensive, spreading throughout the northern and southern provinces of the mainland, and is now mostly self-growing or cultivated in ponds. The four most famous strains among the many strains of lotus are: Jianlian in Jianning, Fujian, Ganlian in Guangchang, Jiangxi, Xianglian in Xiangtan, Anxiang and other places in Hunan, and Xuanlian in Wuyi and Xuanping in Zhejiang. Among them, Fujian Jianning and Jiangxi Guangchang enjoy the reputation of "the hometown of China's Jianlian" and "the hometown of China's white lotus" respectively.
Lotus seeds are the seeds of the lotus, also known as lotus fruit, water Shidan, when the fruit is ripe in autumn, cut the lotus room, take out the fruit, remove the peel, and dry the lotus seeds. Its taste is fragrant and nutritious. Lotus seeds are also a valuable Chinese medicine. For medicinal purposes, peeling and coring is required. Therefore, the prescription of Chinese medicine is also called "lotus meat". The shape of the lotus seed is oval or spherical, 1.2 to 1.8 cm long and 0.8 to 1.4 cm in diameter. The surface is pale yellow to reddish brown with fine longitudinal stripes and broad veining, with a papillary protrusion in the center of one end, dark brown, often with a fissure, and a slight depression around the periphery. The quality of the lotus seeds is relatively hard, the seed coat is thin, and it is not easy to peel off. After breaking, there is a green lotus core in the middle.
Renko has had many connections with Chinese culture since ancient times. Many lotus seeds in the process of growth, are wrapped in the lotus canopy, "seed full of lotus" is a vivid description of it, so in some parts of China folklore, will be the lotus seed as one of the gifts, gifted to the wedding feast of the family, meaning "many children and many blessings" and "children and grandchildren full of hall". The lotus seeds themselves are also full of vitality, Ming Zhaozhao wrote in the "Five Miscellaneous Tricks": "There are stone lotus seeds in Ningjin County, Zhao Prefecture, all buried in the soil, do not know the age, residents dig the soil, often get a number of Huo, its shape is like iron stone, and the flesh aroma does not wither, thrown into the water is the birth of lotus leaves..." The ancient Chinese lotus seeds buried in the soil do not exist only in Ningjin County, ZhaoZhou.
According to reports, at the beginning of the 20th century, people found a large number of ancient lotus seeds in the eastern suburbs of Pulandian, Xinjin County, Liaodong Peninsula, China, and in the early summer of 1918, Dr. Sun Yat-sen traveled east to Japan and brought 4 ancient lotus seeds unearthed in China, as one of the gifts to the Japanese friend Tanaka Takashi, expressing his gratitude for his support for China's democratic revolution. Later, Takashi Tanaka asked Japanese paleontologist Ichiro Ohga to study 4 ancient lotus seeds in China. Ichiro Ohga measured them and believed that they had existed for thousands of years. After careful cultivation of them, these ancient lotus seeds sprouted and grew new strains. Later, people from China, Japan, the United States, Russia and other countries and Chinese farmers successively excavated ancient lotus seeds in Pulandian and many places in China, and after cultivation and research, many of them also germinated new strains, fully confirming the long vitality of lotus seeds.
1//Lotus seed nutritional value: medicinal and food dual use
Lotus seeds have also been considered to be a tonic since ancient times, and are widely eaten in the folk. As early as the Han Dynasty, the Shennong Materia Medica enshrined it as a superior product, and it is recorded in the book that lotus seeds are sweet, astringent, and flat, with the effect of calming and calming the spirit, replenishing the qi, nourishing the heart and kidneys, strengthening the spleen and nourishing the stomach, clearing the intestines and moisturizing the organs, hearing the ears and eyes, and stopping diarrhea, which is suitable for people with weak spleen and stomach after illness or postpartum. In the Ming Dynasty Li Shizhen's "Compendium of Materia Medica", there is also a similar record: "The taste of gailian is sweet, the temperature is astringent, the breath of qingfang, the taste of harvesting, and the fruit of the spleen." The spleen, the yellow palace, so the water and fire, the rendezvous wood, the gold also. The earth is the mother of the yuan qi, the mother qi is harmonious, the jin and the liquid are formed, the gods are self-born, long-sighted and resistant to aging, and this is also its power. ”
Modern research shows that lotus seeds not only have rich nutrients, but also have special therapeutic effects, and belong to one of the plant varieties approved by the National Health Commission (formerly the Ministry of Health) that are "both food and medicine" for medicinal and food uses. Lotus seeds are rich in protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and trace elements such as calcium, zinc, and iron. Each 100 grams of dried lotus seeds contains 19.5 grams of protein, 1.7 grams of fat, 58.9 grams of sugars, vitamin B1 0.23 mg, vitamin B2 0.05 mg, vitamin C 7 mg, vitamin E 2.78 mg, zinc 3.22 mg, asparticin and mitriose (cottonseed sugar), etc.; Lotus seeds are very rich in calcium content, each 100 grams of dried lotus seeds contain 87 mg of calcium, phosphorus content is also particularly rich, per 100 grams of dried lotus seeds contain 550 mg of phosphorus, of which phosphorus can help the body to carry out protein, fat, carbohydrate metabolism and acid-base balance; The potassium content in lotus seeds is among the highest in all animal and plant foods, and potassium plays an important role in maintaining muscle excitability, heartbeat regularity and various metabolisms.
In addition, lotus seeds contain water-soluble polysaccharides, flavonoids, alkaloids and superoxide dismutase and other physiologically active ingredients. Water-soluble polysaccharides have the function of enhancing immunity and promoting lymphocyte transformation; Flavonoids and superoxide dismutase can effectively scavenge free radicals in the human body, maintain the balance of reactive oxygen species metabolism, and delay organ aging. In terms of amino acid composition, histidine, arginine, and tyrosine are the most abundant, which is lacking in general foods. And histidine and arginine are also essential amino acids for children's growth and development. Lotus seeds are high amylose foods, which are ideal for diabetics, gallstones and hypertension, and have the effect of preventing gallstone formation and lowering blood cholesterol. Lotus seed is also a substance rich in phenols and glycoproteins, which have antioxidant and anti-aging effects.
Lotus core taste is extremely bitter, but has a significant cardiotonic effect, can dilate peripheral blood vessels, reduce blood pressure. Lotus core also has a good effect on dispelling heart fire, can treat sores in the mouth and tongue, and help sleep. Middle-aged and elderly people, especially mental workers, often eat it, which can strengthen the brain, enhance memory, improve work efficiency, and prevent the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease.
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Classification of lotus seeds: The quality of lotus seeds varies according to the variety, place of origin, agronomic technology, harvest season, etc. As far as the harvest season is concerned, the lotus seeds harvested before and after the lunar summer are roughly called "Fu Lian" or "Summer Lotus", which are characterized by large particles, thick flesh, good swelling and crisp taste; The lotus seeds harvested after the autumn are called "autumn lotuses", which are characterized by small particles, thin flesh, poor swelling and hard taste. The efficacy of different treatment methods or different ripening periods of lotus seeds is different, and the core fresh lotus seeds produced in summer are cool in nature, longer than nourishing the mind and calming the mind, and can eliminate thirst, astringency and blood. The fried, decoupled lotus seeds, flat and warm, longer than the spleen to stop diarrhea, tonify the kidney and solid sperm, can be used for spleen deficiency diarrhea, kidney deficiency sperm. After the lotus fruit matures, it falls into the pond silt, and after a long time, it will be hard like a stone, called stone lotus seed, also known as sweet lotus seed, which can purify the heat poison, stop vomiting and appetize, and can cure gag diarrhea.
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How to buy: look at the appearance, process and origin
In appearance, the high-quality lotus seeds are larger, the size is uniform, the surface is neat and free of impurities, and the color is a faint yellow with obvious luster. And some inferior lotus seeds are usually a little small, the particle size is not particularly uniform, generally there are large and small, the surface is white, there is no obvious luster. Secondly, in terms of taste, the general quality of the lotus seeds is easier to cook, the taste is fragrant, put one into the mouth to chew will hear the crisp sound of "quack", after eating the mouth full of fragrance. And some of the poor quality lotus seeds on the market, after cooking, will generally stick together, put into the mouth the aroma is not very obvious, can not hear the crisp sound, generally put into the mouth on the broken.
Differences in craftsmanship. The so-called process mainly refers to the peeling process of lotus seeds, high-quality lotus seeds are hand-peeled, do not use any machine, hand-peeled lotus seeds will have some more natural folds on the surface after drying. The use of machine grinding of lotus seeds, usually due to the late picking time of the lotus seeds, resulting in the lotus canopy mature too old to manually peel, only choose the machine peeling. Most of the lotus seeds on the market are machine-ground lotus seeds, and there will be residual red skin on its surface; Another method is chemical peeling, using this method to peel the lotus seed knife marks will be expanded, such as most of the lotus seeds are pure white.
Differences in origin. The lotus seeds produced in Jianning in the northwest of Fujian Province are of good quality. It produces larger lotus seeds and uses artificial peeling with no additives. The lotus seeds produced in Jianning are slightly cooked, the taste is fluffy, and the quality is better than that of other production areas. The quality of lotus seeds can also be identified by foaming hair, which is simply to soak the lotus seeds in water and observe their changes. Generally high-quality lotus seeds, after soaking, will be slightly larger than before, the surface is relatively smooth and rounded, soft to the touch. The water after foaming generally retains a relatively clear state and has no impurities. The poor quality lotus seeds generally do not change significantly after soaking than before the bubble, and sometimes the water will become more turbid.
Storage method
If you want to preserve the lotus seeds for a short time, for mature lotus seeds, you can peel off the lotus poncho and pluck the lotus seeds one by one, keep a green shell, and put them in the refrigerator so that you can make soup, porridge or raw food in your daily life. Or used in the sun to dry, put in a closed utensils or in a plastic bag, can be kept for a long time is not easy to deteriorate, can be used all year round.
If you want to preserve it for a long time, it is recommended to take the lotus seeds taken out of the lotus canopy in advance, cut off the outer layer of green protective shell, and put them in the sun to dry; If you like to eat the lotus seeds that are not bitter, you can take them out together with the internal lotus core when peeling, and the lotus core can be dried and stored for a long time; You can also brew tea directly. In good weather, dry more to maintain long-term use. Follow-up can be made porridge, soup, etc., are high-grade nutrition products.
Lotus seeds are most taboo to be damp and heated, and they are prone to insect moths when damp, and the bitter taste of the lotus core will penetrate into the lotus flesh when heated. Therefore, lotus seeds should be stored in a dry place. Once the lotus seeds are damp and insects, they should be sun-dried or roasted immediately, and they need to be spread and dried for two days after drying, and then collected after the heat is dissipated. The color and flesh quality of the roasted lotus seeds will be affected, and the flavor will be greatly reduced after cooking, and the medicinal effect will also be affected to a certain extent.
With the deepening of the understanding of the efficacy and nutritional value of lotus seeds, more and more storage and processing methods have been developed. Most of the lotus seeds sold in the market are mainly dried products. The traditional dried lotus seed process mostly uses sun drying combined with charcoal baking method. Although the equipment is simple, this method has the disadvantages of long time, difficult to control, and poor quality. Modern microwave drying technology and vacuum freeze sublimation drying technology can also be used for the drying of agricultural products such as lotus seeds, which can fully retain their inherent physiological activities.
Lotus seeds should be avoided
Ordinary people can basically eat lotus seeds, but lotus seeds are astringent and anti-diarrhea, and people with full of swelling and dry stools are best not to eat lotus seeds, especially the elderly and infirm. This medication should be avoided in ancient medical books, such as the book "Diet Recipes for Living with The Breath", which is written: "Before and after the external sensation, malaria, chancre, chancre, hemorrhoids, qi depression and swelling, drowning and constipation, food loss, and new postpartum are taboo." "In addition, although lotus seeds are suitable for people with mild insomnia, if you consume lotus seeds for a long time, it will cause great harm to the patient's body, such as patients becoming drug dependent." And lotus seeds are not suitable for taking on an empty stomach, lotus core bitter cold, not suitable for eating, stomach cold afraid of cold people can not drink lotus core tea.
2// How to eat lotus seeds
Lotus seeds generally ripen from May to September, which is the traditional harvesting period of lotus seeds, but the ripening of lotus seeds is related to changes in temperature. Fresh lotus seeds are eaten after June, and it usually takes 30 to 40 days to cook.
Lotus seeds can be used as an auxiliary material for breakfast, lunch and dinner, so lotus seeds are suitable for eating in three meals. Preferably around 4 p.m., by which time the food in your stomach has been almost digested. Or eat it before going to bed. A bowl of lotus seed soup for dinner, or a soup stew with lotus seeds and pork hearts, or a porridge with lotus seeds and glutinous rice can calm the mind and promote sleep.
Lotus seeds are also eaten in a variety of ways. If you eat lotus seeds raw, if you have a skin, you must first peel off the outer skin, leaving only the flesh inside, which is the white part. Wash it clean, soak it in clean water for about 20 minutes, it will become soft, such as bad teeth can be soaked for a while.
The core of the lotus seed is very bitter, and when you eat it, you have to go to the core. However, the lotus core has the effect of removing the fire and can be drunk in water. The use of lotus core to make tea, to dry the fresh lotus core first, so that the processed lotus core has a good anti-fire and depyretic detoxification effect.
Lotus seed porridge is a very simple and practical home-cooked porridge. 50 grams of lotus seeds and 100 grams of japonica rice are needed. Wash the lotus seeds together with the japonica rice. Cook together. Cook until the lotus seeds are very fluffy. Jujube lotus seed porridge is also a porridge that can nourish the face and blood. You need 30 grams of lotus seeds, 5 to 10 dates, and 60 grams of japonica rice. Wash the lotus seeds, dates, japonica rice, and cook them together. Cook until the lotus seeds are rotten, put a few grains of rock sugar, then turn off the heat, let it cool and eat.
In addition to the above-mentioned family-made lotus seeds, there are also a variety of industrially produced foods with lotus seeds as the main raw material. Lotus seeds can not only be made into breakfast paste, tribute paste, lotus paste, lotus cake, lotus noodles and other foods, but also processed into lotus seed fermented milk, lotus ice cream, "lotus core snow", lotus seed polysaccharide food and other new lotus seed food. Canned lotus seed eight treasure porridge is not only nutritious, but also easy to eat. Canned sugar water lotus seeds have the effect of nourishing the spirit, strengthening the spleen and appetizing, anti-diarrhea and sperm. Lotus seed drinks, lotus seed sake and other series of drinks made of lotus seeds not only retain the original nutrients, but also have excellent taste and are gradually loved by consumers. With puffed lotus seed powder as the main raw material, lotus seed milk powder, lotus seed paste, nutritional powder and other lotus seed products with health care effects can be made.
(Excerpt from "Nuts Eat An Understanding", Edited by Guo Shuntang, China Agricultural Publishing House, Cheng Yan, Contributed)
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