There are only two species, Nelumbo nucifera and N. lutea. Nucifera is the old-world species and the one cultivated and eaten the most. N. lutea is North American but aside from its yellow color seems to be very similar to nucifera.

The tubers are the most commonly eaten part. Slice them across and they look a little like sponges, with large cavities. These are often stuffed with a filling, then the slices are battered and deep fried. I've never actually eaten them, though.

The seeds are also eaten. When they're fresh, there's a controversy about whether the green embryonic shoot should be removed or not. When I grew lotus, my neighbor Ping-Ti Ho, who was an expert on the introduction of new world foods into China, tasted them both ways and couldn't make up his mind. Supposedly, the dry seeds can be popped like popcorn.

The leaves can be used to wrap food that is then steamed or baked, but I don't believe people eat them as a rule. They're strange in that water beads up and rolls around on them, like balls of mercury.

Lotus grows in shallow water -- depths of a few inches to a few feet. I grew mine in a 1/2 whiskey barrel in a pond 18 inches deep. The tubers were probably about 6-8 inches under water. Growing in a natural pond or lake, they'll form large colonies. I suspect the American N. lutea is a little hardier than N. nucifera, but even nucifera will survive very cold temperatures as long as it doesn't get frozen solid.

Thank you! That was very helpful.

I am eating a bowl of store bought stirfry that has white lotus in it. I don't know about other store chains, but HEB in Texas has a steam in bag line of frozen food. This week I saw a new "flavor" that had the lotus tubers in it. I'd never seen them or heard of eating them so as I'm eating supper I googled edible lotus and this website came up. All I have to say is YUM! Gotta grow some now!

ellen

Here is a link that might be useful: steamable at HEB

I used to purchase a seaweed salad with lotus slices in it. They absorbed the some of the liquid and had a almost water chessnut cripness.