Honey-Glazed Glutinous Rice Lotus Root

Honey-Glazed Glutinous Rice Lotus Root

　　“Honey-Glazed Glutinous Rice Lotus Root,” originally named “Cooked-Stuffed Lotus Root,” is a traditional sweet dish with a long history. Legend has it that “Cooked-Stuffed Lotus Root” originated in the Yuan Dynasty and, after continuous refinement by chefs over generations, evolved into “Honey-Glazed Glutinous Rice Lotus Root.” This dish uses white lotus root from Tangzhuang in Sheqi County, southwestern Henan. It is prepared through boiling, stuffing, steaming, and honey-glazing, resulting in a soft, glutinous, sweet flavor—making it a renowned delicacy at banquets. The white lotus root is large, with long sections, thin skin, and fine, translucent flesh as pure as jade, delicious and sweet. Ordinary lotus roots, when cut, reveal many fine threads that cling together and do not break, hence the idiom “lotus root breaks but the fibers stay connected.” However, the white lotus root of Tangzhuang shows no threads even when sliced, chopped, or scraped, making it a rare treasure among lotus roots. In the Qing Dynasty, it was listed as an imperial tribute and is an uncommonly excellent cooking ingredient.

Ingredients:

Main ingredient: 500g white lotus root.

Secondary ingredient: 100g glutinous rice.

Seasonings: 150g white sugar, 50g honey, 15g cooked lard, 5g red and green candied fruit strips, 50g osmanthus sugar.

Preparation process:

(1) Wash the lotus root and trim off the ends. Rinse the glutinous rice, soak it in cold water for 3 hours, then drain. Starting from one end of the lotus root, stuff the glutinous rice into the holes until full. Place on a plate, steam until cooked, then remove. Soak in cold water for 2 minutes, peel off the skin, let cool, then slice into 0.5cm thick pieces.

(2) Take a clean bowl, lightly grease the inner wall with lard, arrange the lotus root slices in a horseshoe shape, sprinkle with 75g of sugar, steam for 15 minutes, then invert onto the center of a serving plate.

(3) Place a pan over medium heat, pour in the steaming liquid from the lotus root, add the sugar, reduce the syrup to a thick consistency, then add honey and osmanthus sugar. Stir well, pour the mixture over the lotus root slices, and sprinkle with red and green candied fruit strips before serving.

Preparation tips:

Soak the glutinous rice first, peel and trim the lotus root, stuff it with glutinous rice, and steam immediately. If left too long before steaming, the lotus root will darken in color, resulting in inferior appearance and taste.