The lotus, or more precisely the sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), is a plant of prime importance to many Asian countries, not least Cambodia, where it is known as 'chhuuk'.
It is not clear where this plant originated. Many believe that it comes from the Middle East, from where it is thought to have spread to many parts of the world. Whatever the case, today the lotus can be found in many countries, particularly in South and East Asia.
In Cambodia, the sacred lotus grows in the shallow waters of lakes and ponds throughout the country. Its "root", a rhizome that grows in the mud, bears "stems", peduncles and petioles, which support flowers and leaves. The peltate leaves can reach a diameter of 50 centimetres and either lie on the surface of the water or rise some fifteen or twenty centimetres above it. The flowers, which are white, pink or red and usually single, stand proudly above the leaves.
The N. nucifera flower is extremely important in Asian religions: in Brahmanism, deities such as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are often represented sitting on a lotus flower. This is also the case with Buddha, who, knowing how to walk from birth, saw a lotus flower blossom under each of his steps. It is said that this flower is the symbol of purity par excellence, because although it was born in the mud, it remains immaculate.
Offering
The lotus flower is used in Southeast Asia in general, and in Cambodia in particular, as an offering to the Buddha. The Khmers have developed ingenious techniques for folding lotus flower petals, adding to the beauty of the flowers. These flowers with their folded petals are often seen adorning hotel lobbies and massage parlours...
A source of food
The lotus is also an important source of food: its 'fruits', 'seeds', stalks and rhizomes can all be eaten.
The fruits, which look like green shower heads, are frequently sold from roadside stalls. The fruit, which is actually the pistil of the plant, is visible when the flower is wilted and the petals and stamens are detached. They can be eaten fresh or dried.
Fruits
The fruit contains the seeds (achenes). These seeds can be eaten green or ripe. Green seeds can be eaten raw, grilled or boiled. They are also used in many desserts. They have the distinctive feature of having a green, very bitter germ, which should be extracted before consumption. When ripe, the seeds turn brown. They are roasted, cut in half and then crunched like peanuts.
Peduncles
The peduncles, the young shoots that grow from the rhizomes, bear the flowers. Fresh, they are peeled before being broken into two or three pieces. This operation removes the indigestible fibres, which are extracted and discarded. Batch stalks can be eaten raw, in the form of "anluk" (anluks are the raw vegetables that Khmers love with dipping sauces); they can also be sautéed, usually with minced pork, or used in the composition of various soups.
Rhizomes
Finally, the rhizomes, which have between 5 and 9 cavities along their length, are peeled and then cut into slices that can be used in a variety of stir-fry dishes. They can also be boiled in pork trotter soup. The Chinese sometimes stuff them with glutinous rice flavoured with osmanthus flower, then boil them for a long time. Once cooked, they are cut into fairly thick slices, which are a popular sweet starter in the Shanghai region.
Some manufacturers have also developed tea-like drinks from lotus leaves, while others prepare coffee substitutes from the roasted seeds.
Pharmacopoeia
The sacred lotus is also well known in traditional medicine, which uses many parts of the plant to produce pharmacopoeia products to treat a wide range of ailments: the lotus seeds, cooked in water with other plants, are used to prepare medicinal soups to treat insomnia, diarrhoea or to stimulate the appetite; the leaves are said to treat certain haemorrhages, particularly nosebleeds; the petioles are said to be effective in treating heatstroke; and the flowers are said to improve blood circulation.
Water repellent
Lotus leaves are highly water-repellent: drops of water glide over them without ever soaking them. It was this characteristic that enabled lotus leaves to be used to wrap a wide range of foods before the advent of plastic bags. Even today, fresh rice noodles sold on Cambodian markets are often wrapped in lotus leaves, to prevent them from drying out. And unlike plastic bags, which have become a real scourge for our planet, used lotus leaves have zero impact on the environment!
The fibres, which are extracted when the stalks are eaten as vegetables, have been shown to have excellent textile qualities. In Cambodia, Samatoa, a fair trade company set up in 2003, has perfected techniques for extracting the fibre from the stalks of the sacred lotus. The fibres, extracted by hand, are then spun to produce yarn for luxury fabrics.
Text: Pascal Médeville: Photographs: Pascal Médeville, Wikipedia
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