Renkon (lotus root)

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Lotus root (renkon)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Various LOTUS, see below
***** Category: Plant, Humanity


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Explanation





renkon 蓮根 lotus root
kigo for all winter

It is not really the root, but but an underground stem with many holes.
There are alwasy one small hole in the middle, two smaller ones on the top side and all around the middle one are seven other ones, altogether nine holes around the middle. Air is funneled through these holes to the plant.


It is an auspicious food,since you can see through the holes of the root "into the future", saki ga mitooseru　先が見通せる, which is lucky. Therefore lotus dishes are always prepared for auspicious situations, festivals and the New Year food.





renkon no hasami-age れんこんのはさみ揚げ
Renkon no Hasami Age
Lotoswurzel mit Hackfleischfüllung


Lotus, Lotos (hasu) ... all KIGO
and all about the symbolism of the lotus blossoms.
The flowers of lotus play an important role in Buddhist philosophy.


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Renkon is well loved and prepared as a speciality in some prefectures.


. Kaga renkon 加賀レンコン/ 加賀れんこん
Lotos roots from Kaga, Ishikawa 　



The story of the ailing daimyo of Kumamoto, Hosokawa Tadatoshi,
細川 忠利 and how he got well with
. karashi renkon 辛子れんこん lotus roots with mustard 　
and
karashi renkon chippusu 辛子れんこんチップス
Karashi Renkon Chips
from Kumamoto




. renkon katsudon れんこんカツ丼
cotelette with lotus root on rice 　
from Gifu




. renkon no ni-ae れんこんの煮和え
simmered lotus root salad 　
from Aichi



. renkon no su no mono と\れんこんの酢の物
lotus root pickled in vinegar 　
from Iwakuni, Yamaguchi



. Urajima renkon 連島レンコン
lotus roots from Urajima town 　
renkon shooshuu レンコン焼酎 schnaps
from Okayama


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hasumeshi 蓮飯 lotus with rice

hasu no meshi 蓮の飯 (はすのめし)
hasumeshi 荷飯（はすめし）
hasuha no meshi 荷葉の飯（はすはのめし）rice on a lotus leaf
observance kigo for early autumn

Served at the O-Bon ancestor festival.
. Bon Festival, O-Bon, Obon お盆 .




Hiroshige, Eating Lotus at Shitaya Hirokoji, Ueno
江戸高名会亭尽　下谷広小路

In the background is the pond Shinobazu no Ike in Ueno, famous for its lotus and the island with a shrine of Benten. Parties for "lotus blossom viewing " (hasu no hanami 蓮の花見) were quite popular.

A party of writers of comic verse (kyooku 狂句) in 17 syllables is having a party after the poetry meeting.

One of the dishes is Lotus with Rice 蓮飯 hasumeshi,
prepared with lotus seeds and leaves and salted rice.



There is also hasu no ha meshi, kayoohan (荷葉飯 はすのはめし）,
rice with lotus leaves, with the rice wrapped in a lotus leaf.
The rice is cooked with this wrapper.

Other recipes prefer to boil the lotus seeds and leaves and use the broth to cook the rice.

. Reference : 荷葉飯



. Benten, Benzaiten 弁天　弁財天 　


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Worldwide use

Lotoswurzeln.

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Things found on the way




hasu no mi　蓮の実 fruit of the Indian lotus
Nelumbo nucifera

It is used as medicine against sleeplessness and also helps with diarrhoe.
It can be served in soup or as a sweed desert.


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HAIKU and SENRYU


塩魚の塩こぼれけり蓮の飯
shiozakana no shio koborekeri hasu no meshi

the salt of this
salted fish spills over . . .
rice with lotus

Kaya Shirao 加舎白雄 (1738-1791)


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Related words


***** WASHOKU :
YASAI . Vegetable SAIJIKI


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