Lotus: Superfood lotus seeds

Whether it's the lotus effect, the beguiling lotus flower or the lotus eaters mentioned in mythologies - almost everyone has heard the term “lotus” somewhere! The plant is known primarily for its beauty with its pink flowers. What many people don't know, however, is that all parts of the plant are edible and the plant is even said to have medicinal and preventive effects. During our research into this fascinating plant, we came across a part of the plant that is less known than the flower, but has a lot of promise: the lotus seeds! Some of these are already being traded as new superfoods, they are also healthy and incredibly tasty - and now they are now also available from us in various products! Since the plant, its history, effects and uses are so interesting, we have summarized everything about lotus for you here:

New at Lotao: Healthy nutrition with the superfood lotus seeds

With lotus seeds, we at Lotao have discovered an exotic food with a lot of potential as a functional food or even as a superfood. We were immediately convinced of the health-promoting benefits of our lotus seeds from Vietnam. Then we went to our test kitchen to create new dishes with the valuable seeds for health-conscious connoisseurs. As with all of our products, we not only care about the quality of the raw materials , but also how easy they are to prepare for cooks with little time. That's why we're now launching a brand new series of lotus seeds that are just as healthy, uncomplicated dishes as our popular jackfruit stars. That's why stews and spreads with lotus seeds, each in three different flavors, now strengthen our healthy convenience line ! All Lotus stews and spreads are vegan, gluten-free, free of preservatives and additives - just Lotao quality . Our delicious, vegan lotus stews in the flavors “Lotus Lentil”, “Lotus Curry” and “Lotus Vegetable Goulash” contain whole lotus seeds . They come in a practical screw-top jar and only need to be warmed up briefly - which not only makes them vegan and gluten-free, but also easy to prepare! Crushed lotus seeds harmonize perfectly with the ingredients of our three vegan spreads . When it comes to “Beetroot Lotus”, “Lentil Lotus” or “Tomato Lotus”, the choice is really difficult. The lotus spreads are also available in practical screw-top jars, so that they are easy to portion and store - if there really is any left over...!

Lotus seeds – superfoods for healthy nutrition

Lotus seeds or lotus nuts are the edible seeds of the lotus plant , which are contained in the initially green, characteristic pistil after flowering. Lotus seeds are harvested when they turn black, which occurs approximately within four to eight months after planting. Ripe lotus seeds are black, oval and have a hard outer shell. The creamy white inner core is suitable for consumption raw or dried. Fresh, raw lotus seeds have a slightly sweet, juicy consistency and taste a bit like green almonds. Dried lotus seeds have a similar taste to chickpeas. Peeled lotus seeds are a popular snack in Asia because they can be processed in a variety of ways: they can be “popped” like popcorn, they can be pickled as pickles, roasted, or even candied. For example, lotus seeds are often added to Vietnamese soups, used for fillings and also served in sweet dishes.

Healthy ingredients in lotus seeds

Lotus seeds are gluten-free and cholesterol-free and also have a low glycemic index. Lotus seeds are not only well tolerated, but are also really healthy because they are packed with good vitamins and nutrients. They contain, for example:

Vitamins from the B group such as B1 and B6, each with around 50 percent of the daily requirement in 100 grams. Lotus seeds are also rich in vitamin B2 and other B vitamins such as niacin or pantothenic acid.
Trace element manganese : 100 grams even contain the recommended daily amount
Trace element iron : around 50 percent of the recommended daily amount in 100 grams
other essential trace elements such as zinc and selenium
Minerals such as potassium (at about a third of the recommended daily amount), calcium and magnesium
Antioxidants and phytochemicals such as flavonoids and alkaloids
100 grams of dried lotus seeds contain 332 calories. Their energy value comes mainly from carbohydrates (64 percent) and proteins (15 percent), but not from fats (2 percent). In complete contrast to nuts, whose high calorific value is mainly due to fats!

Lotus seeds not only contain high-quality proteins ; they are also rich in a variety of essential amino acids . In addition, they also provide unsaturated fatty acids, good carbohydrates, fiber and other vitamins such as vitamins A and C. Due to this richness, lotus seeds are no longer only considered healthy, but are also often referred to as “ superfood” in the media .

Lotus seeds as a functional food for our health

In addition to the consumption of some of its individual parts, the lotus plant as a whole is also of great importance in medicine in Asia. A lot of research is currently being carried out in vitro and in vivo, specifically into the medical benefits of lotus seeds . However, there is already evidence that lotus is effective as a functional food - for example, its use in Asian regions has been proven to provide the following medicinal benefits:

helps against high blood pressure, diabetes and gallstones
promotes improvement of the immune system
has an antibacterial, anti-inflammatory effect
has an analgesic effect
supports gastrointestinal regulation
acts as an antioxidant

This makes lotus seeds also a potential functional food - which means that, in addition to their pure nutritional values, they also have a positive effect on our health.

All the facts about lotus and lotus flowers

Both grow in ponds in our botanical gardens and are often confused, but be careful: Lotus is not a water lily (Nymphaea) ! As a rule of thumb, the botanical layman can remember the following: the leaves and flowers of the lotus flower rise high out of the water, while the water lilies appear to float on the surface of the water. The lotus flower, native to Asia, has another relative in the New World that we would like to mention for the sake of completeness: the American lotus flower (Nelumbo lutea). There are actually only these two types of lotus: the Indian lotus flower (Nelumbo nucifera), which is what this article is about - and its American relative!

What is Lotus? Interesting facts about the Indian lotus flower

Family: Lotus family (Nelumbonaceae)
Genus: Lotus flowers (Nelumbo)
Species: Indian lotus flower (Nelumbo nucifera),
Other names: Indian lotus flower, (Indian) lotus, (Indian) lotus, sacred lotus/lotus
Occurrence: India, China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia
Location: loamy, nutrient-rich soil of lakes, ponds, swamps, also in slow-flowing waters, river deltas
Water depth: 0.3 to 2.5 meters
Propagation: via rhizomes (rootstocks) and via lotus seeds
Climatic conditions: not frost-resistant, requires temperatures above 13 degrees to germinate and above 23 degrees to grow
Planting time: March to May
Lotus in numbers:
Lotus grows up to 2 meters high
Leaves are up to 80 centimeters in diameter
Lotus flowers have a diameter of up to 35 centimeters
Lotus seeds are about 1-2 centimeters long
Flower color: mostly pink, also white
Use in: TCM, medicine, religious rituals and nutrition (Asian cuisine)
Plant parts used: depending on need, but all plant parts can be used (i.e. lotus roots, lotus stems, lotus pith, lotus leaves, lotus flowers, and lotus seeds)

Lotus: known for the lotus effect and as a religious symbol

Lotus leaves have the peculiarity that liquids simply roll off them . In this way, the leaves always stay clean - neither fungi nor other harmful organisms can settle on them. This so-called lotus effect is not only of scientific interest, but is now also often used in product advertising. The ability to repel dirt and spoilage gave the lotus its symbolic status in large parts of Asia. In Buddhism and Hinduism, for example , lotus is considered a symbol of purity and has always been used as such in poems, religious texts and pictorial representations of various Asian cultures . In China, lotus seeds symbolize longevity. And rightly so! In 1994, researchers actually managed to germinate over 1,300-year-old lotus seeds from a dry riverbed in northeast China. For example, lotus seeds are often found in the form of a lotus seed paste as a lucky, expensive filling in Chinese mooncakes .

The importance of lotus as a medicinal plant

In Ayurveda, lotus root is valued for its cooling and astringent properties . The seeds of the lotus are considered Yin energy nutrition in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Lotus is said to cool the blood and purify heat - and was therefore already a functional food at a time when this word did not yet exist! The following healing properties are attributed to the different parts of the lotus plant :

helps with insomnia
Strengthening the nervous system
Positive regulating influence on blood sugar levels
has a blood pressure lowering effect
Relief from cardiovascular problems
relieves gastrointestinal problems
antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects
has an antipyretic effect
good for fatty liver
controls excessive bleeding
its enzymes are said to have anti-aging potential

Special feature lotus tea

Lotus also seems to be versatile in making tea . While in Korea not only the white petals, but even lotus seeds, leaves and roots are used for tea, in the rest of Asia the leaves, stems or stamens of the lotus flower are more popular and popular for flavoring teas.

Lotus: Roots and stems as an ingredient in Asian dishes

Lotus: Roots and stems as an ingredient in Asian dishes They are an integral part of Asian cuisine: the rhizomes of the Indian lotus flower, which look so attractive in cross section, or in other words, the lotus roots! Lotus roots naturally have a sweet to neutral taste . In Chinese cuisine, they are known as crispy fried and spicy slices or cooked whole and filled with meat as part of appetizer platters . Lotus roots also have their place in wok dishes and curries . They contain a lot of starch, so when dried they are also used to make flour . While Vietnamese cuisine uses young lotus stems in salads, in Thailand they are found in soups and curries . Indian regional cuisines use the stems of the lotus plant in soups, starters and as fried side dishes.

Buy specialties with lotus seeds

Curious and interested in Lotus? Then it's best to visit the Lotao shop straight away and add our new products with the superfood lotus seeds to your shopping cart. What would it be delicious? Our vegan lotus stews “Lotus Lens”, “Lotus Curry” and “ Lotus Vegetable Stew ” with whole lotus seeds? Or one of our spreads with crushed lotus seeds? By the way, they are also available in three flavors , namely “ Beetroot Lotus ”, “ Lentil Lotus ” or “ Tomato Lotus ”.