Dali Thorny Water Chestnuts

Dali Thorny Water Chestnuts

　　According to the *Newly Compiled Chronicles of Yunnan: A Study of Products*, “Water chestnuts were formerly called *ji* and belong to the genus *Trapa*. In ancient times, *ji* and lotus were often mentioned together, and chestnut-picking was also celebrated in poetry, as they are commonly found plants in ponds and marshes. In spring, their leaves emerge — broad ovate in shape with many serrations. The middle part of the leaf stalk is swollen, which helps the plant float. In summer, small white flowers with four sepals and four petals bloom. By autumn, the ovary ripens into a nut, the shell forming tender thorns. The flesh is white and tender and can be eaten raw.”

　　Dali thorny water chestnuts are mainly produced in major freshwater lakes such as Erhai Lake, West Lake, Jian Lake, and Huabi Lake. Each spring, they sprout and grow leaves that float on the water surface, with serrated edges and a swollen midsection of the leaf stalk. In summer, they bloom with small white four-petaled flowers. When autumn arrives and the weather turns crisp, the waters are abundant with ripe water chestnuts — the season for harvesting. At this time, the chestnuts have a hard outer shell covered with tender thorns. Freshly picked chestnuts are rinsed clean, then briefly boiled in boiling water before the shells are removed for eating. The flesh inside is white and tender, sweet to the taste, making it a popular food among the Bai people.