A taste of place
Osmanthus sticky-rice lotus root
桂花糯米藕 Guìhuā nuòmǐ ǒu
Beneath the summer flowers, a sweet winter story has been growing.
A slice of lotus root looks like a little window with rice in every opening. Amber syrup finds its way into the hollows; tiny osmanthus flowers rest on the surface. The sweetness arrives slowly, with a soft, satisfying chew.
The lotus has already lived several lives around West Lake: a green leaf holding the rain, a flower above the water, a seedpod drying in the sun. Beneath it all, the swelling rhizome has been waiting in the mud. In the cooler months, that hidden part comes to the kitchen.
Rice is tucked into its channels before a long simmer. Cut across the cooked root, and the careful work appears in every slice. A summer landscape has become something warm and small enough to lift with chopsticks.
Another palate
What stayed with them.
The stuffed lotus root with osmanthus was a favourite festive dish.
A closer look
From ingredients to the table.
Explore the ingredients and the usual preparation, step by step.