Lotus Stir-Fry Scores High In Consumer Panels

Dec 29, 2016

Lotus, an aquatic perennial vegetable native to many subtropical and temperate zones, is cultivated extensively throughout Asia. Lotus rhizomes, stems, flowers, seeds, and young leaves are in great demand, and are considered a dietary vegetable staple in many Asian cultures because of their high content of protein, amino acids, dietary fiber, carbohydrates, vitamins, carotenoids, and macro/micronutrients. A new report in HortTechnology found there may be a niche market for locally grown lotus among American consumers.

Deacue Fields and Togo Traore, corresponding authors of the report, explained that lotus rhizomes are used extensively in culinary preparations such as soups, salads, desserts, and stir-fried food in China, Japan, India, Vietnam, and Australia. "Although lotus is indigenous in many areas in Alabama and the United States, the prospect of cultivating lotus commercially presents several questions concerning its sustainability as a specialty vegetable crop in Alabama and the United States," Traore and Fields noted.

To find out more about American's perceptions, a research team evaluated consumer preference for three different preparations of fresh lotus rhizomes and value-added products (stir-fry, baked chips, and salad) through consumer taste panels at Auburn University's Department of Nutrition Dietetics and Hospitality Management and a locally owned restaurant. Prior to the taste panels, only 30% of the participants had some knowledge about the lotus rhizome and its health benefits and preparations.

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Video: Why Invest in Canada’s Seed Future? | On The Brink: Episode 3

Darcy Unger just invested millions to build a brand-new seed plant on his farm in Stonewall, Manitoba so when it’s time for his sons to take over, they have the tools they need to succeed.

Right now, 95% of the genetics they’ll be growing come from Canadian plant breeders.

That number matters.

When fusarium hit Western Canada in the late 90s, it was Canadian breeders who responded, because they understood Canadian conditions. That ability to react quickly to what’s happening on Canadian farms is exactly what’s at risk when breeding programs lose funding.

For farmers like Darcy, who have made generational investments based on the assumption that better genetics will keep coming, the stakes are direct and personal.

We’re on the brink of decisions that will shape our agricultural future for not only our generation, but also the ones to come.

What direction will we choose?

On The Brink is a year-long video series traveling across Canada to meet the researchers, breeders, farmers, seed companies, and policymakers shaping the future of Canadian plant breeding. Each week, a new story. Each story, a piece of the bigger picture.

Episode 3 is above. Follow Seed World Canada to catch every episode, and tell us: Do you think the next generation will have the tools they need to success when they takeover? How is the future going to look?