Water Chestnut

Water chestnuts are not nuts at all, but the corms of an aquatic sedge plant that grows in marshes and shallow water across Southeast Asia, China, and parts of Australia. Their appeal lies entirely in their texture — a clean, apple-like crunch that holds up remarkably well to cooking, staying crisp even after stir-frying, braising, or steaming.

In the kitchen, water chestnuts are a staple of Chinese and Southeast Asian cooking. Sliced or diced, they add crunch to stir-fries, san choy bau, dumpling fillings, and spring rolls. They also feature in desserts — water chestnut cake is a classic dim sum sweet, and the starch is used to make a silky, translucent jelly popular across Asia.

Fresh water chestnuts, with their dark brown skin, can occasionally be found in Asian grocers and are well worth seeking out for their superior sweetness and crunch. Tinned water chestnuts are widely available and perfectly serviceable, though milder in flavour.