Lotus roots are edible.
A lotus is a type of aquatic plant in the water lily family. The formal name is Nelumbo nucifera, although it is known by a variety of other native names in the countries where it grows. The plant has been valued as a religious symbol by many cultures and is also a useful food source, as most parts of the plant are edible. It is also used in landscaping because it can make a water feature very attractive.
Odysseus meets the “Lotus Eaters” in Homer’s “Odyssey.”
The leaves of a lotus are round and float on the surface of the water, connected to long stems that end in rhizomes that extend under the mud of the river or lake bed. The rhizome is a type of plant root capable of giving fresh shoots, reproducing the plant and potentially colonizing a large area. The plant also produces pink to white flowers that float to the surface and close at night. When the flowers germinate, they form distinctive disc-shaped perforated seed pods.
In Buddhism, the lotus is closely associated with the Buddha and enlightenment.
Lotus flowers, leaves, roots and seeds are edible. In Southeast Asia, where the plant is native, these plant parts have been used for food for many centuries. Various parts are used in steamed buns, stir-fries, desserts, and other dishes. The fragrant flowers add a distinctive aroma and flavor to the dishes in which they are used.
An important religious significance is attributed to the lotus. According to Buddhist tradition, the plant is associated with enlightenment and the Buddha. It is also sacred to followers of the Hindu tradition and is the national flower of India. A relative of the lotus, the Nymphaea lotus or tiger lotus, was imported to Egypt, where it played an important role in religious ceremonies and culture. Numerous paintings and sculptures depict its use in religious ceremonies and as sacred ornament.
Lotus plants produce beautiful flowers.
Mythology also has a special place for the lotus. In the Odyssey, Homer almost lost several sailors from the “lotus eaters” clan. The mythical plants in Homer’s epic apparently induced drowsiness and general apathy, causing those who consumed them to abandon their search. The exact plant involved in the story is unclear, but it may have been the blue lotus, a plant well known to the Greeks for its psychotropic properties.