Lotus flower
Nelumbo nucifera · Edible flower
Top 10 pairings
The lotus flower is the large, cupped bloom of the sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), an aquatic perennial rooted in the mud of ponds and slow rivers across Asia. Its fragrant pink or white petals and slender stamens are used to scent tea, garnish dishes and flavour syrups and sweets — a culinary use distinct from the plant's better-known root and seeds.
Picking a good onedrag
Cupped and waxy, still shutting at nightFlat open, browning, scent gone
Shop freshEveryday bestBlooms grown for looks or for offerings carry sprays cleared only for ornamentals, so buy lotus sold as food. Shred petals raw, or wrap rice.
The petalsFull colour still, a bruise or two where handled
Centre of the flowerStamens yellow, a few shed loose in the cup
In the handOpen by day, springy, closing loosely at night
Smell at the flowerStill clearly floral, gentler, close to the cup