Sweet stuffed lotus root with sticky rice, highlighted by the strong aroma of osmanthus fragrans syrup.

Now it is lotus root season! Autumn and Winter are two seasons for white food like lotus root, lotus seeds, baby ginger or radish. This sweet lotus root dessert usually is stuffed with sticky rice and drizzled with Osmanthus fragrans syrup or honey. After long time simmering, lotus root will lost its crunchy texture and become very soft. The long time simmered sticky rice tastes sweet and gooey with a strong touch of flower aroma. I know this might be quite unfamiliar to you. But it is a good idea to serve this as a appetizer or dessert for typical Chinese dinners.

Lotus root is the one of the most popular root vegetable. Fresh lotus root is only available after late summer. It can be added to stir fries, stews or braised dishes. We treasure the lovely gift from the lakes. Raw lotus root only has a fait sweet taste with crisp and crunchy texture. But it can well absorb the flavors of seasonings after frying or simmering. I have tried to use it as a substitute of meat in famous dishes like Kung pao lotus root. If you like sweet food, this is a must try recipe.

Osmanthus fragrans syrup (桂花糖浆) is a loved syrup in China, which can be taste great in desserts and soups. In Elaine’s city, the Osmanthus tree is planted along with the road. In late August and September, the fragrans of the trees emit charming aroma. However they will fade quickly. So the flowers are either sun dried or kept in honey or syrup.

stuffed lotus root with sticky rice |China Sichuan Food — a bottle of sweet Osmanthus fragrans syrup

Ingredients

2 sections lotus root (larger ones)
1/2 cup (40g) sticky rice
50g brown sugar
80g white sugar
2 tablespoons honey or osmanthus syrup
2 red dates (optional)

Rinse sticky rice 2 or 3 times and then soak with clean water for 1 hour or in fridge overnight. Drain and then mix well with around 2 tablespoons of white sugar.

Peel the rind off and cut around 1 to 1.5 inches from one end of the lotus root to serve as a lid.

Stuff the lotus root with sticky rice, slightly shake the lotus root or use a chopstick to push the rice grains into the holes. And then cover the lid and fix with toothpicks.

Add lotus root to a small pot and add water to cover. Place brown sugar, white sugar and red dates.Bring to boil and then simmer for around 20 minutes. Then flip them and continue simmering for 15 to 20 minutes. A short way is to cook in high pressure cooker for 30 minutes.

Cut the stuffed lotus roots into slices and drizzle with osmanthus syrup or honey.

Note: for larger holes, try to pick fat and short lotus root sections. If you love a deeper browned color, use brown sugar only and skip white sugar.