A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Banter Hall bet you've never seen these before...

Take a guess at what they are :) They're edible



Close up:

never seen one

some kind of nut---or is it a date of some type???

i remember from before... you posted them. not lotus is it? something else that you got at the chinese food store? help me out kenny... my brain is old...

Those are so awesome looking, Kenny.

if YOUR brain is old--I am in DEEP trouble---

you've got a good memory! i think i was asking about them earlier; they're called bat nuts/devil's pod/bull nuts. each side of each nut is supposed to be different, and if you look carfully enough you can see the devil/bat/bull/buffalo face. they're like potatoes that grow from floating plants somewhere in asia. my grandma was telling me it's about time to get some (they're in season).

i did try them; boiled for about 15 mins on medium. the shell's still tough, and the white 'fleshy' thing inside was hard. quite frankly i don't even know if boiling them even cooked them at all but you know how grandma's always right lol

it didn't taste like anything, really bland, but reminiscent of chestnut. very powdery texture like an old potato, and very starchy/filling. But at $1.39 a pound (about 40 of them) and feeling full after having just 10, i realize why seeds and nuts played such a big role in earlier diets. and when i was googling them, some guy was selling them for $2 a piece! they do grow if you plop them in water. i heard they grow a rosette of geranium like leaves that float on the surface.