Red Water Chestnuts

Last updated 2026-11-14 — Water chestnut is an annual herbaceous plant with white flowers. The fruit is typically purple-red and is often eaten as a vegetable, while those with black shells have slightly yellow flesh and are mostly used to make water chestnut starch. In Pan Tang, red water chestnuts are the main variety—sweet and delicious. It takes only about 130 days from planting to the first harvest. Water chestnut blossoms have inspired poetry since ancient times. Ancient mirrors from the Tang Dynasty adorned with water chestnut flower–shaped patterns were called “water chestnut mirrors.” Luo Binwang wrote in his poem “Ode to Wang Zhaojun”: “The ancient mirror’s water chestnut petals are dim, sorrowful brows furrow like willow leaves.” This fruit is sweet, astringent, and neutral in nature, and non-toxic. Its flesh is rich in starch, as well as glucose, protein, and vitamins (B and C). It offers benefits such as clearing summer heat, invigorating qi and the stomach, relieving thirst, counteracting alcohol toxicity, promoting urination and lactation, and fighting cancer. Eating fresh water chestnuts raw can relieve summer heat and quench thirst. It is suitable as a dietary fruit for those suffering from summer heat–induced fluid loss, feverishness, irritability, spontaneous sweating, or poor appetite. When cooked, water chestnuts are warming in nature, strengthening the spleen and replenishing central qi. They are ideal for people with weak spleen qi, fatigue, lethargy, lack of appetite, or numb limbs. They are beneficial in preventing and treating conditions like gastric ulcers, dysentery, esophageal cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, and other cancers. Various parts of the water chestnut plant—including the chestnuts themselves, shells, stems, and leaves—can be used medicinally. The plant’s stem can treat sores on children’s heads, and crushed fresh stems applied regularly can help remove skin warts. Ash made from burnt mature shells can be applied to treat impetigo and hemorrhoids. However, those who are physically weak or have internal cold should avoid eating them raw.