Saw water caltrop 菱角 for the first time yesterday - in a local shop! I’ve never tasted them, only read about them, eg used as lethal weapons in martial arts novels, or harvested by villagers. I’ve looked up this name so many times... 1/

Trying to find its name, I learned that the inside of the water caltrop is the size of a Brazil nut, has a musky smell, a texture like the lumps in mashed potato, is rich in potassium, seasonal, associated with mid-autumn (I guess mooncakes are more popular). 2/

Was commonly eaten in the U.K. until 1880 (why such a specific date?) Now being associated with Halloween, as bat nuts or devil pods. From calcatrippe (heel-tripper), a plant that trips you up.

Water caltrop 菱角, also known as bat nuts and devil pods 4/

I went back to the shop - water caltrop 菱角 @ £2.80 per kilo. I paid 80p for these, I asked how to cook them - boil in plain water, open them and eat them - (guess what’s for lunch)

The water caltrop 菱角 smelled a bit like dirty mud, so I washed them well, then boiled for 20-30 mins in plain water, then took them out and let them cool. They looked the same cooked as they did raw.

They’re very hard to crack open! Finally managed to open one with a nutcracker - it looks a bit like a Brazil nut and the white flesh texture was a bit similar too. Not sure what to make of it... or what to do with the rest of them... but they look amazing!