What Are Water Chestnuts?
So what is a water chestnut? Known by its scientific name, Eleocharis dulcis, the Chinese water chestnut is a grass-like plant that is native to certain areas in Asia, Australia and Africa — as well as several islands in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Contrary to what its name suggests, it’s not actually a nut at all.
Water Chestnut Nutrition Facts
Take a look at the water chestnuts nutrition profile, and it’s easy to understand why this aquatic vegetable is so great for your health. Each serving provides a good amount of water chestnuts carbs and fiber, plus micronutrients like manganese, potassium, copper and vitamin B6.
Health Benefits
Water chestnuts are low in calories yet high in nutrients. This makes them a great addition to a healthy weight loss diet. Plus, a good amount of the carbs in water chestnuts are actually in the form of fiber, which moves through the body undigested to support satiety and keep you feeling fuller for longer.
Uses in Traditional Medicine
Water chestnuts are high in essential nutrients and packed with medicinal properties. For this reason, water chestnuts are considered a staple in many branches of traditional medicine.
Water Chestnuts vs. Jicama
Jicama is a root vegetable that is often compared to the water chestnut given their similarities in taste and texture. In fact, jicama is sometimes referred to as “Mexican water chestnut.” It is said to have a taste that is described as a cross between a water chestnut and an apple.
Where to Find and How to Use
Wondering where to buy water chestnuts? While fresh water chestnuts may be difficult to find outside of specialty Asian markets, jarred or canned water chestnuts are available in most major grocery stores in the international or ethnic food section.
Recipes
There are many different ways to enjoy the multitude of health benefits that this aquatic vegetable has to offer. Here are a few easy water chestnuts recipes to try at home to help get you started:
What Are Water Chestnuts?
Firstly, water chestnuts are also known as Chinese water chestnuts and by their scientific name of ‘Eleocharis dulcis’.
Nutrition Facts For Water Chestnuts
Here are the nutritional values for raw water chestnuts per 3.5 oz (100-gram) serving.
Water Chestnuts Are Nutrient-Dense
As shown in the nutritional values, water chestnuts are a good source of numerous essential vitamins and minerals.
Rich Source of Flavonoid Polyphenols
Water chestnuts contain high concentrations of flavonoids and phenolic acids ( 3, 4 ).
Potential Visual Benefits
A 2018 randomized controlled trial investigated the impact of a supplement containing water chestnut extract and lutein on visual function ( 8 ).
Why Do Water Chestnuts Stay Crunchy After Cooking?
As previously mentioned, water chestnuts have the interesting characteristic of staying crunchy even after cooking ( 10 ).
How To Use Water Chestnuts
There are many different ways to use water chestnuts. Among these, they work particularly well as a crunchy addition to stir-fries and noodle-based dishes.
Ecology
In the dry season of the Northern Territory in Australia, magpie geese eat the bulbs of water chestnuts, allowing them to put on fat for the wet season and ensuring they are ready for breeding. In the wet season, water chestnut leaves are used to build their floating nests.
Nutrition
Raw water chestnuts are 74% water, 24% carbohydrates, 1% protein, and contain very little fat.
Taste
Raw water chestnuts are slightly sweet and crunchy. Boiled water chestnuts have a firm and slightly crunchy texture, with a mild and slightly nutty flavor that may easily be overpowered by seasonings or sauces with which the water chestnut is served or cooked. They may be combined with bamboo shoots, coriander, ginger, sesame oil, and snow peas.
Agronomic properties
The crop can be cultivated in paddies, 2–7.5 m (7–25 ft) wide by up to 100 m (330 ft) long to allow for mechanization, or in a hydroponic culture. As it is an aquatic plant, it should always be submerged in approximately 10 cm (4 in) of water. The crop needs continuously high soil temperatures, ideally 14–15.5 °C (57–60 °F).
Is a water chestnut a nut?
No, water chestnuts aren’t “real nuts,” and they’re considered aquatic vegetables. However, the brown skins of the tuber are akin to tree chestnuts. Moreover, water chestnuts are incredibly sweet, nutty, and a bit tart with a texture of an Asian pear.
Fresh vs. Canned Water Chestnuts
You can find water chestnuts in most Asian food stores or online—either in fresh or canned form. Fresh water chestnut vegetables are more challenging to find than the canned version. The following are the critical comparisons of fresh and canned water chestnuts:
What do water chestnuts taste like?
If you’ve never eaten the fresh veggies and have always wondered what water chestnuts taste like, the best way to describe their flavor is that every bite tastes like a blend of fresh coconut and an apple. They’re lightly sweet, a bit nutty, and a tad tart at the same time! Meanwhile, canned water chestnuts don’t have the flavor that fresh ones possess..
How to eat water chestnuts
You can eat fresh water chestnuts as is, thanks to their fruity, sweet flavor, and crunchy texture. But it doesn’t stop there! There are other ways in which you can eat veggies. But before slicing or cooking water chestnuts, you should remove their soft and outer shell or skin. Here are a few ways you can use water chestnuts:
Tips on buying water chestnuts
To make sure that you’re getting the best water chestnuts at the Asian grocery store, pay attention to the following tips:
Tips on storing water chestnuts
As I said, unpeeled and fresh water chestnuts will stay fresh for about seven to ten days in the refrigerator.
The bottom line
Water chestnuts are aquatic vegetables known for their crunchy texture and fruity flavor—they’re also highly versatile and genuinely delicious!
Water Chestnut Facts
Trapa natans, sometimes called “Jesuit Nut” or “Water Caltrops,” is a water plant with huge floating leaves grown in ponds. Cultivated in China and commonly used in that cuisine, it is also grown to a lesser extent in Southern Europe and Asia. This type is considered invasive in most areas.
What is a Water Chestnut?
Growing water chestnuts look like other water rushes with four to six tube-like stems that poke 3-4 feet above the surface of the water. They are cultivated for their 1-2 inch rhizomes, which have crisp white flesh and prized for its sweet nutty flavor. The tubers look somewhat like gladiola bulbs and are dirty brown in color on the outside.
Can You Grow Water Chestnuts?
Growing water chestnuts are primarily cultivated in China and imported to the United States and other countries. Rarely, have attempts been made to cultivate in the U.S.; however, it has been tried in Florida, California and Hawaii with limited commercial success.
Water Chestnut Fun Facts
They're not nuts at all, though they look similar to the chestnuts that thrive in trees.
Nutrition Nuggets
Water chestnuts are a great source of potassium — almost as much as a banana in a serving — and also have fiber, B-6 and even a bit of protein. They're virtually fat-free, too.
What To Look For When Shopping For Water Chestnuts
Price is often the driving force when it comes time to choose, and the cheapest option is almost always in cans, water chestnuts sold in jars are widely believed to have a fresher taste.
How To Store Water Chestnuts
Fresh water chestnuts should be kept in the produce drawer to the fridge in a sealed container to help extend their shelf life. Use within a few days of purchase.
Prepping Water Chestnuts
Canned water chestnuts should be rinsed under cool, running water. To remove the "tinny" taste, soak the rinsed water chestnuts in fresh water with 1 teaspoon baking soda for 10 minutes before slicing or chopping for various recipes.
Cooking With Water Chestnuts
Fresh water chestnuts can be eaten raw after they've been peeled. They're a favorite snack in Asia, served by street vendors.