Dawan Deep Cave Lotus Root

Dawan Deep Cave Lotus Root

　　Dawan Deep Cave Lotus Root

　　Deep Cave lotus root, from Deep Cave in Dawan Town, Gaoyao City, features thick and plump sections, long roots, snow-white skin, a crisp and tender texture, high starch content, and low fiber. It has a fluffy, fragrant taste and yields minimal threads when broken. It can even rival pears when eaten raw. This delicacy was featured in the Qing Dynasty’s “Manchu-Han Imperial Feast.”

　　Deep Cave lotus root can be stir-fried, tossed, pan-fried, stewed, or braised. Common home-style dishes include Pork Bone Stewed Lotus Root, Stir-Fried Lotus Root Slices with Pork Belly, and Sweet and Sour Lotus Root. For Sweet and Sour Lotus Root, thin slices of the root are briefly blanched in boiling water, then mixed with rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and shredded ginger. Legend has it that during the Qing Dynasty, Jie Chuwen, a successful candidate in the imperial examinations from Xigucun Village, served Deep Cave lotus root to Emperor Qianlong while serving as an official in Yuxiang County, Shanxi. It also appears among the famous dishes of the Qing Dynasty’s “Manchu-Han Imperial Feast.” Today’s “Flavorful Deep Cave Lotus Root” is first pressure-cooked for 20 minutes, then halved and cut into 2–3 cm thick pieces. After coating with a suitable amount of cornstarch and frying, it is stir-fried with fermented red tofu, salt, and MSG until dry. The final dish boasts appealing color, aroma, taste, and texture—pale red in color, fluffy and crispy, with minimal threads when broken, a strong fragrance of lotus, and a long-lasting aftertaste.