Food for soul - Yoenghun Jorim, Lotus root in soy sauce

Lotus grows in mud but blooms the flower of heaven. That is what the Buddhist teaching taught me. We are always in the world of deceptions, the world that as murky as mud. Yet, our soul can bloom a beautiful flower of heaven, our deed can be as white as a locus blossom.
Besides of its beauty and its valuable teaching, every part of lotus has many usage. The lotus nut makes delicious snack and has calming effects on nervousness. The blossom has used to perfume the rice wine. Leaves make fragrant tamale-like steamed sweet rice. The stem and roots, rich in fiber, are eaten through out the Asia.

I slowly simmered it in soy sauce along with ginger. I didn't like lotus root that much when I was young child. It is one of the food that , I thought, did not have much taste.

I discover now, it actually have subtle but very distinctive taste like the way potato does. I can not put my finger on it, but something is there to taste.

The root is quite hard and take some time to be fully cooked. But I think the wait is all worth it whenever I bite into it.

Recipe

Lotus root 1 lb, 2 Table spoon of vinegar + 2 cup of water

Say sauce 1/2 C, water 1 + 1/2 C, honey 1 T, dark brown sugar 1 T, whole black pepper 1/2 t, sliced fresh ginger 1 T

1. Peel and slice lotus root into 5-7 mm thickness and soak slices in vinegar water.

2. Mix soy sauce, water, honey, dark brown sugar, black pepper & ginger in sauce pan and bring it to boil.

3. Rinse & Drain lotus root slices and add them into the sauce pan. Put lid on top and reduce the heat to low. Simmer it till tender (about 30-40 min).