Liangzi Lake Red Water Chestnut

Liangzi Lake Red Water Chestnut

Liangzi Lake Red Water Chestnut is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　Liangzi Lake Red Water Chestnut is a specialty of Liangzi Lake in Ezhou City, Hubei Province.

　　Liangzi Lake Red Water Chestnut mainly grows in Liangzi Lake, Ezhou City. Liangzi Lake is one of China’s top ten famous lakes, one of the largest freshwater lakes in Hubei Province in terms of water capacity, and ranks second in surface area within the province. Liangzi Lake water is crystal clear and pure, with zero pollution. It features a beautiful landscape where the lake meets the mountains and the water blends seamlessly with the sky, creating a serene and refreshing environment. The flesh of Liangzi Lake Red Water Chestnut contains 24% starch, 3.6% protein, and 0.5% fat. When young and tender, it can be eaten raw as a fruit; when mature, it can be cooked or processed into water chestnut starch. Dried into air-dried water chestnuts, it can be stored to extend availability. The leaves can be used as green fodder or green manure. Liangzi Lake Red Water Chestnut is highly nutritious, rich in various vitamins and minerals. The water chestnut plant has a spread of about 40 centimeters. At harvest time, there are around 40 leaves. The leaves are relatively small, measuring 5.6 cm in length and 7.7 cm in width, diamond-shaped, greenish-blue, with purplish-red near the petiole. The leaf surface, petiole, and stem are all reddish-brown, with the petiole being 22 cm long. The flowers are white with relatively long sepals. Each water chestnut plant produces about 7–8 fruits per rosette. The fruits have four corners. The shoulder horns are slender and extend horizontally, while the belly horns extend slightly downward at an angle. The fruit is 2.8 cm in height and 3.2 cm in width, bright red in color, weighing 14 grams each, with 50–70 fruits per kilogram. It has a crisp, juicy texture and a sweet taste, indicating high quality. It thrives in warm, humid conditions with ample sunlight and is not frost-resistant. From sowing to harvest takes about five months, with a fruiting period lasting 1–2 months. Therefore, areas with a frost-free period of more than six months are required for a bountiful yield. The flowering and fruiting period requires daytime temperatures of 20–30°C and nighttime temperatures of 15°C.