Know what this is? Sure you do! You've probably seen these distinctive American lotus seed pods along the river. When I researched them, I found all sorts of colloquial names for the seeds:
Alligator Corn
Alligator Buttons
Duck Acorns
Rattlenuts
Yockernuts
Pondnuts
And they are edible by more than just ducks and alligators!
The seeds can be eaten raw, boiled or roasted, and can be added to soups. They can even be popped - due to their oil content. Older seeds can be ground into flour, from which a paste can be made to bake into pastries.
It's not just the seeds that make their way into the kitchen. The stamens can be made into tea, new leaves can be eaten as a green, and the roots can be stir-friend, baked, or stuffed.
Who knew?
Actually, American Indians knew. The lotus was a food staple for many of them.
For an interesting article on lotus seeds, check out eattheweeds.com where Green Deane is touted as the "Most Watched Forager in the World". He has an article on these particular wild edibles at http://www.eattheweeds.com/american-lotus-worth-getting-wet-for/ .
They are so pretty! I never knew they were edible. Have you tried them?
ReplyDeleteNo, I haven't tried them yet. I haven't seen any since I did my research. But I am planning on grabbing a few on my next walk. I'll have to post the results.
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