How to Identify Lotus Root from Pictures and Tips for Telling Seven-Hole and Nine-Hole Varieties Apart

Lotus root is the underground rhizome of the lotus flower, and most common lotus root pictures show its long, cylindrical shape made up of segments. In photos, the skin of lotus root is mostly yellowish-white with a few rust-colored spots, the nodes at both ends are slightly narrower, and after peeling, the flesh is pure white; a cross-section also reveals a ring of symmetrically arranged holes, which is its most distinctive identifying feature.

When distinguishing lotus root varieties from pictures, you can focus on the number of holes in the cross-section and the overall shape. Popular practice divides them by hole count into two types, seven-hole lotus root and nine-hole lotus root. Seven-hole lotus root is generally short and thick with a higher starch content, giving it a mealy, starchy texture; nine-hole lotus root is relatively slender with plenty of moisture, making it crisper to eat. If a picture shows both the whole segment and the cut surface, judging becomes more intuitive.

Many people online easily confuse lotus root, lotus flower, lotus seedpod and lotus seed, but in fact they come from the same plant and are simply different parts. The lotus flower is the bloom above ground, the lotus seedpod is the fruit developed from the receptacle, the lotus seed is the seed inside the seedpod, the lotus leaf handles photosynthesis, and the rhizome hidden in the mud is the lotus root. When looking at pictures, as long as you pay attention to the part shown, you will not mistake one for another.

The practical value of lotus root pictures lies mainly in two areas: shopping and learning. When shopping, you can compare against the pictures and check whether the skin is intact and whether there is obvious damage or an off smell; fresh lotus root that is excessively white in color actually deserves extra caution. Growers, meanwhile, often use pictures to assess field growth and harvest standards. It should be noted that online pictures are often retouched, so the color and size of the real thing may differ slightly from the photo; in the end, actual observation is what counts.