Baked Lotus Root Chips Recipe: 7 Ways to Enjoy Lotus Root

Lotus root, also known as renkon in Japanese, is the edible rhizome of the lotus plant, an aquatic plant in the Nelumbonaceae family. You can consume lotus root raw or use various cooking methods to prepare it, including boiling, braising, or stir-frying. Lotus root seeds can be ground into a paste and utilized in dessert preparations. You can find whole lotus roots (linked, in small, bulbous segments like sausage) or pre-sliced at many Asian grocery stores.

Lotus root is also known for its numerous health benefits: It’s a good source of dietary fiber and is rich in vitamins and minerals like calcium, potassium, and vitamin C.

Fresh lotus root has a mild sweetness and a starchy, crunchy texture between jicama and celery, making it a popular addition to stir-fry dishes. The rhizome softens when cooked, though it retains a slight crunch and its signature mild flavor.

Lotus root is an easy, striking addition to most dishes in your repertoire—here’s how to prepare it:

1. 1. Use a vegetable peeler. Using a vegetable peeler to remove the lotus root’s skin will preserve the neat round shape of the sliced root.
2. 2. Rinse thoroughly. Rinse peeled lotus roots in cold water, and use a chopstick to clear any remaining dirt from the inner channels if necessary.
3. 3. Use vinegar to prevent oxidation. To maintain its white color, soak the peeled, sliced lotus root in vinegar—or cool water with a pinch of kosher salt.

Lotus roots maintain their crisp texture in hot dishes like soup or stir-fries and turn soft and creamy when baked or fried. Here’s how to take advantage of their versatility:

1. 1. As a snack: Baked or deep-fried lotus root slices are popular snack food. Use a mandoline to get paper-thin slices that will crisp up without getting soggy.
2. 2. As a powder or paste: Lotus root powder is a common ingredient in Chinese medicine, where it’s used to bring a cooling balance to the body. Lotus seeds are made into a sweet paste used in desserts like mooncakes or mochi.
3. 3. Add to soups: Sliced lotus root makes an attractive garnish in everything from ramen to ozoni—the traditional Japanese New Year’s mochi soup—and stays crisp, adding a level of textural dimension.
4. 4. In kinpira renkon: Like kinpira gobo, kinpira renkon features thin slices of lotus root and carrot stir-fried in aromatic sesame oil, then simmered in a mixture of soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar, then topped with sesame seeds.
5. 5. Add to a stir-fry: Cook lotus root with similarly crunchy-tender veggies like snap peas, carrots, or celery in a wok over high heat for a straightforward weeknight stir-fry.
6. 6. Make a pickle: Slices of pickled lotus root are a traditional item in Japanese osechi ryori boxes—an assortment of side dishes to celebrate Japanese New Year.
   
7. 7. Stuffed with hot mustard: Karashi renkon, fried lotus root slices, are a regional specialty of Kumamoto, a city in Kyushu. Lotus roots are stuffed with a mix of miso and karashi (Japanese-style mustard made from crushed mustard seeds and horseradish). The roots are then sliced crosswise, battered, and fried until crispy.