Kaga Renkon (Lotus Roots)
Available：August - May
Kaga Renkon (Lotus Roots)
Characteristics
- Containing a lot of starch, the Kaga Renkon has a highly viscous and puffy texture
- The nodes of the root are short, delicately fleshy and white like snow.
- Various culinary uses: can be boiled, pickled, eaten in a soup or steamed
- Hasumushi, a popular Kanazawa dish, is made of grated Kaga Renkon steamed with shrimp or eel and other ingredients
Overview
The lotus plant has been cultivated since the Edo period for medicinal use and as ornamental flower, but it wasn't until the Meiji period that, with the introduction of new species' seeds, people began to widely cultivate it for eating. There are two ways of harvesting: with a hoe, as they do in Kanazawa's Kosaka district, or using water pressure like in Kahokugata. Because of its high nutritional value, Kaga Renkon have long been recommended to nursing mothers.
Steamed Kaga Renkon dumplings