Japan Lotus Root Farm and Harvest
Ibaraki Prefecture, home to Lake Kasumigaura, the second largest lake in Japan (only Lake Biwa is larger), boasts the highest production of lotus roots in Japan. The lakeside land is fertile and has an ample water supply?where lotus roots thrive?and is known across Japan as an area that produces high quality lotus roots.
Lotus root production around Lake Kasumigaura started about 40 years ago in the 1970s. While the government implemented an agricultural policy to adjust the production of rice, people in the Kasumigaura area looked for superior crops that would replace rice, and chose lotus roots as this was the best match for Kasumigauraβs low-lying wetlands.
White delicate lotus roots, fine in texture
Lotus roots around Lake Kasumigaura in Ibaraki Prefecture are harvested between July and March. Every year, at the time of harvest, all lotus stems and leaves above the water of Lake Kasumigaura are chopped down to stop the lotuses from growing further.
The lotus roots, which grow underground, become dormant in the mud, and slowly accumulate starch from summer to winter?meaning the lotuses harvested in the same area can have different tastes depending on when they are harvested. The lotuses harvested in the summer are said to be juicy and have an enjoyable, crispy texture, while they become starchier in the winter with an enjoyable fluffy texture.
We visited Renkon Sankyodai, a company which grows and sells lotus roots in Ukishima, located in the south of Lake Kasumigaura in Inashiki, Ibaraki Prefecture. As the name (which means βthree brothers of lotus rootsβ in Japanese) suggests, the company is in agriculture and run primarily by Takao, the eldest son, Masaharu, the second eldest son, and Akira, the third eldest son of the Miyamoto Family.
Ibaraki Prefecture, home to Lake Kasumigaura, the second largest lake in Japan (only Lake Biwa is larger), boasts the highest production of lotus roots in Japan. The lakeside land is fertile and has an ample water supply?where lotus roots thrive?and is known across Japan as an area that produces high quality lotus roots.
Lotus root production around Lake Kasumigaura started about 40 years ago in the 1970s. While the government implemented an agricultural policy to adjust the production of rice, people in the Kasumigaura area looked for superior crops that would replace rice, and chose lotus roots as this was the best match for Kasumigauraβs low-lying wetlands.
White delicate lotus roots, fine in texture
Lotus roots around Lake Kasumigaura in Ibaraki Prefecture are harvested between July and March. Every year, at the time of harvest, all lotus stems and leaves above the water of Lake Kasumigaura are chopped down to stop the lotuses from growing further.
The lotus roots, which grow underground, become dormant in the mud, and slowly accumulate starch from summer to winter?meaning the lotuses harvested in the same area can have different tastes depending on when they are harvested. The lotuses harvested in the summer are said to be juicy and have an enjoyable, crispy texture, while they become starchier in the winter with an enjoyable fluffy texture.
We visited Renkon Sankyodai, a company which grows and sells lotus roots in Ukishima, located in the south of Lake Kasumigaura in Inashiki, Ibaraki Prefecture. As the name (which means βthree brothers of lotus rootsβ in Japanese) suggests, the company is in agriculture and run primarily by Takao, the eldest son, Masaharu, the second eldest son, and Akira, the third eldest son of the Miyamoto Family.
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