Fresh lotus root looks a bit scruffy on the outside. This rhizome of the lotus plant resembles a string of fat, ivory-colored sausages. To reveal its beauty, peel and thinly slice the root crosswise to see it blossom into lacy snowflakes. When lightly cooked, they’re crisp and slightly sweet and crunchy. When thicker chunks simmer in broth or stew, they take on a starchy quality somewhat like a slightly sweet firm potato.

I lightly blanch the thin slices in boiling water, then rinse and drain them. I cook half using the recipe for Stir-fried Lotus Root and Pork in The Hakka Cookbook (page 79). It’s easy and satisfying. In this simple dish, stir-fry soy sauce-marinated thinly sliced pork with lots of green onions, a few slices of chile, and garlic. Add the the blanched slices of lotus root and a sauce mixture of water, soy sauce, Chinese rice wine, cornstarch, and bean sauce or hoisin sauce. Eat with rice.

For easy pickles, I immerse the blanched thin slices of lotus root in a mixture of vinegar, sugar, water, and salt. I use the recipe for Pickled Carrots an Radishes (page 60) in The Hakka Cookbook as a guideline for the pickling liquid. Add a few slices of ginger or chiles, if you like. Chill the pickles at least 2 days or up to 2 weeks. They’re deliciously crisp, tangy and sweet. Enjoy!