Lotus seedpods sold online to cut crowds
Hangzhou locals have long appreciated the lotus for its beauty, fragrance and yummy taste. The raw seeds embedded in the round pods taste refreshing and aromatic, and those growing in West Lake have found favor with gastronomes for many centuries.
The harvest for seedpods in the lake officially started on August 16 this year, much later than previous years due to recent typhoons and heavy rainfalls.
Buying freshly picked seedpods from the lake was easy in the past, thanks to stalls set up by the West Lake management committee. However, due to the latest outbreak of Delta-variant of coronavirus in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, the committee canceled the stalls to cut down on crowds.
The fresh seedpods are now available to buy from the committee's official WeChat account. People can pay online and then fetch the seedpods from designated locations, thus avoiding long queues.
As supplies are limited, each buyer can only spend up to 10 yuan (US$1.5) for a maximum of three seedpods and four leaves. Online buyer access opens at 8pm from Sundays to Thursdays and closes on Fridays and Saturdays. Also, workers won't pick if there is heavy rain. People who have already paid will get their money back, and WeChat payment is recommended.
All the income will be donated to charity organizations.
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Lotus flowers undulate in the breeze in Hangzhou.
Ti Gong -
A lotus seedpod pokes out from leaves in the West Lake.
Ti Gong -
Lotus leaves proliferate in West Lake waters.
Ti Gong -
Workers are busy plucking leaves and seedpods.
Ti Gong -
Freshly picked lotus leaves.
Ti Gong
To create more space for the densely growing plants, local government workers are delegated for a couple of weeks in summer to thin out the leaves and seedpods.
Also, the lotuses growing in the lake are the hualian (花莲) variety which mainly grow flowers and rarely produce seedpods. So the supply of seedpods cannot always keep up with market demand.
If people want to savor the succulent seeds, they should remember to buy them as soon as possible.
If buyers outside Hangzhou want to taste the seeds, they are recommended to buy lotus seed powder. Hangzhou natives traditionally grind the dried seeds into powder which is sold as a specialty to tourists.
The powders are available through most online souvenir outlets. The sweet, sticky starch is considered a nourishing food in China and is often mixed with hot water for a nice drink.
