Huangmei Water Chestnuts

Huangmei Water Chestnuts

　　Also known as "horse hooves" or "earth chestnuts." Grown in the paddy fields and ponds of Dahé, Tíngqián, Shānmù, and Zhuógǎng in Huangmei. Together with Nanchang water chestnuts, Suzhou earth chestnuts, and Guilin water chestnuts, they are collectively referred to as the "Four Great Water Chestnuts of China." Huangmei water chestnuts are sweet, refreshing, and highly nutritious, and have long been known as the "underground pears." In ancient times, northern travelers were particularly fond of Huangmei water chestnuts, calling them the "ginseng of the south." After visiting the Fifth Ancestor Temple of Zen Buddhism, they would always bring some back for their families to enjoy. Huangmei water chestnuts can be used both as a fruit and a vegetable, suitable for eating raw or cooked. They also serve as an effective herbal remedy. They help clear heat and quench thirst, warm the middle and invigorate qi, promote digestion and remove stagnation, eliminate food retention and phlegm, and dispel wind and reduce fever. In recent years, researchers have discovered that Huangmei water chestnuts contain an antibacterial substance called "water chestnut ying," which effectively inhibits Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, gas-producing bacilli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. They can also relieve heat toxicity from minerals, clear internal excess heat, and serve as medicine for clearing heat, promoting urination, and lowering blood pressure.