Stewed Hunan Lotus Seeds with Rock Sugar

"Stewed Hunan Lotus Seeds with Rock Sugar" is a renowned dish among Hunan's sweet delicacies. Since the Western Han Dynasty, white lotus seeds were presented as tribute to Emperor Liu Bang, hence Hunan lotus seeds are also called tribute lotus seeds. Hunan lotus seeds are mainly produced in the Dongting Lake area, with Xiangtan being a famous production area. Within the city, Huashi and Zhonglupu yield the largest quantities and the highest quality. There are two varieties: red and white lotus seeds. Among them, the white lotus seeds are round, pure white, powdery, soft, and fragrant, ranking first nationwide. After tasting the fresh white lotus seeds, which "refresh the heart with a hint of small lotus fragrance," the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) poet Zhang Ji once sighed, "It's laughable that the pleasures of food trap me — I just want to grow old in Hunan."

Ingredients:

200g lotus seeds, 25g canned green peas, 50g fresh pineapple, 25g canned cherries, 25g dried longan flesh, 300g rock sugar, 650g water.

Preparation Methods:

1. Remove the skin and bitter sprouts of the lotus seeds, place them in a bowl with 150g of warm water, and steam until soft and tender. Rinse the dried longan flesh with warm water, soak for 5 minutes, then drain the water. Peel the fresh pineapple and cut it into 1cm cubes.

2. Place a wok over medium heat, add 500g of water, then add the rock sugar and bring to a boil. Once the rock sugar is completely dissolved, remove the wok from the heat. Strain out any sugar residues, return the rock sugar water to the wok, add the green peas, cherries, dried longan flesh, and pineapple, and bring to a boil over heat.

3. Drain the steamed lotus seeds and place them in a large soup bowl. Pour in the boiled rock sugar mixture and the accompanying ingredients, allowing the lotus seeds to float on top. The dish is ready to serve.

Notes:

1. Add warm water and soda ash to the lotus seeds, scrub them with a bristle brush, until the water no longer turns red, replace the water and continue scrubbing. When the outer skin begins to appear, use a small bamboo skewer to pierce and push out the lotus heart, then steam them.

2. The ratio of rock sugar to water is 1:0.6; if there is too little water, the lotus seeds will float to the surface.

Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn