Why does the lotus root turn blue-purple after being blanched?

Lotus root is an aquatic vegetable. It is large and has small tube-shaped holes inside. It tastes crunchy and chewy. The shell is called lotus pod and the fruit is lotus flesh or lotus seeds. It is also one of the most common vegetables in our lives. Why does lotus root turn blue-purple after blanching? Let's read on to find out!

Contents of this article

1. What is lotus root?

2. How to cook lotus root

3. Why does lotus root turn blue-purple after being blanched?

What is lotus root?

Lotus vegetable is lotus root. The various parts of lotus have different names, all of which can be used for medicinal purposes. The lotus stalk is called lotus stem, the leaves are called lotus leaves and lotus leaf stalks, the lotus stamens are called lotus stamens, the fruit shell is called lotus pods, the fruit is lotus flesh or lotus seeds, the embryo is called lotus heart, and the underground rhizome of lotus is called lotus root.

Lotus root belongs to the lotus family, an aquatic vegetable. It is thick and knotty, with small tubular holes inside. It is divided into red lotus root, white lotus root, and twisted lotus root. Red lotus root is slender, with a brownish-yellow and rough skin, less water, and not crispy and tender; white lotus root is thick, tender and smooth on the outside, silvery white, with crisp and juicy flesh and rich sweetness; twisted lotus root is pink, rough on the outside, and contains more starch.

How to cook lotus root

Main ingredients: 500 grams of lotus root (wash and cut into thin slices), 300 grams of chicken, 25 grams of dried shrimp, 20 grams of pickled mustard tuber, 5 grams each of chopped green onion, soy sauce, and chopped ginger, 7 grams of sugar, 10 grams of salt, 3 grams each of sesame oil and vinegar, 1 gram of MSG, 50 grams each of water and oil.

practice:

1. Wash the lotus root, slice it, drain it and set aside. Soak the dried shrimps until soft and chop them twice.

2. Add oil to the pot, heat it, add lotus root and stir-fry, then take out and drain the oil.

3. After heating the oil, add the scallion, chopped ginger, chopped chicken, chopped dried shrimp, and chopped pickled mustard tuber and stir-fry. Finally, pour in the stir-fried lotus root and bring out the aroma. Then add soy sauce, sugar, salt, water, sesame oil, MSG, and vinegar and continue to stir-fry until the juice is dry.

Why does the lotus root turn blue-purple after being blanched?

Because lotus root contains a chemical component, it will turn blue-purple when cut and peeled and exposed to the air. The reason for the discoloration is due to oxidation, the phenols in the tannins produce quinone polymers to form brown pigments, that is, melanin. In order to prevent discoloration, the peeled and cut fruits and vegetables can be soaked in clean water or light salt water to isolate them from the air to prevent oxidation discoloration. In addition, another reason for discoloration is the generation of dark tannin salts with metals, which turns blue or dark green when encountering iron. It is precisely for these reasons that you should avoid using iron pots when cooking lotus roots, and it is better to use casseroles. It is best to use stainless steel knives when cutting lotus roots.