Fresh Lotus Leaf
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
