How to cook water chestnut

The Chinese water chestnut is not a chestnut or even a nut, but the edible tuber of an aquatic plant. The walnut-sized tuber is rounded with a pointed top and consists of a tough but papery brown skin covering crisp, white meat. Whether raw or cooked, the meat has a crunchy texture, similar to that of raw potato, and a subtle, almost sweet flavor.

Family – Cyperaceae
Scientific name – Eleocharis dulcis or Eleocharis tuberosa
Common name – water chestnut, Chinese water chestnut, Ma Ti, Ma-Tai, Chee-Chang

Raw water chestnuts are a good source of potassium and vitamin B6

Varieties

Numerous varieties of Chinese water chestnut exist, but only a small number are cultivated. A Chinese variety, Hon Mati, is known for its size and sweetness. A Florida variety, derived from the Chinese variety, is larger, but the flavor is more bland. Another type of edible water chestnut is the fruit of the aquatic herb Trapa natans, unrelated to the Chinese water chestnut. Trapa grows so abundantly in the waterways of the northeast that attempts are under way to eradicate it.

Origin and botanical facts

The Chinese water chestnut is native to the Far East and grows in many parts of India, southeast Asia, New Guinea, northern Australia, and Polynesia, although it is cultivated mainly in China and Japan as a food and folk medicine. Attempts have been made to establish crops in the state of Florida, but at this time no commercial growth occurs in the United States. The plant is a sedge, similar in appearance but unrelated to grass, that grows in freshwater swamps or in shallow ponds. The rush or reed-like leaves are bright-green hollow stems that grow to 3 feet in height. The plant, which is best grown in rich, fertile, pulverized soil covered with 6 inches of water, is planted in spring and propagates by producing spreading rhizomes throughout the summer months. One rhizome can propagate to 3 square feet. During the late autumn, the leaves yellow and chestnuts form at the ends of the rhizomes. Within 3 to 4 weeks, the leaves die back, and the corms can be harvested, although exposure to cold winter air is thought by some growers to improve the flavor. Chinese chestnuts are harvested by hand or scooped from the bottoms of ponds with forks to avoid bruising the skins.

How to cook water chestnut

Freshwater chestnuts should be firm. They can be refrigerated in a paper bag for up to 2 weeks and should be washed and peeled just before use. To prevent discoloration from exposure to air, the peeled whole or sliced water chestnuts can be dropped into acidulated water (dilute lemon juice) if not cooked immediately. Canned water chestnuts can be drained and stored in fresh water in a sealed container up to a month if the water is changed daily. Freshwater chestnuts can be eaten raw or cooked. They can be added to stir-fries, soups, casseroles, or vegetable dishes, where they will retain their crisp texture even after heating. For use in salads and other cold dishes, they can be added raw or boiled 5 minutes, drained, and chilled.