Ingredient Name: Fresh Lotus Leaf
Traditional Chinese Name: 荷葉 (héyè)
What is this?
- The leaf of the lotus plant, a perennial aquatic plant related to the water lily
- The leafs can grow to be quite large (as large as 18 inches in diameter in some cases) and are dark, green in color
- The lotus leaf is most commonly found in Chinese cuisine as the wrappers of food such as rice, sticky rice – it is not commonly eaten
- The leafs are usually collected in the summer and autumn seasons and dried for usage thereafter
- It is slightly bitter and very mild
How do I prepare it?
- Rinse in warm water before soup usage
- You can use as a it whole piece or rip into smaller pieces for your soup
Where can I buy this?
- Commonly available in all wet marts in Asia (Hong Kong, Taiwan, China and South East Asian countries)
- Dried lotus leaf is more common in Western supermarkets vs fresh lotus leaf
What is the cost?
- 1 pieces (as pictured above) cost around $5 HKD
Any benefits?
- It is meant to help invigorate the blood
- It is also sometimes used to help reduce dizziness and fevers
Any precautions?
- It is not commonly eaten, but can be found in pills/supplements
- I usually throw out the leaf after soup usage and don’t eat it
Additional Information
- Store fresh lotus leaf in the fridge for up to 5 days
Can I use dry lotus leave instead due to we live in sf, don’t think we can buy fresh one. Thx
Dear Gege, absolutely. Actually, fresh ones aren’t as commonly used as dried ones. Lisa