Apulid

Eleocharis Dulcis

Apulid or well-known as water chestnuts grows in swampy places like in a rice field or near streams of water in Southeast Asia. Popular in Chinese cuisine for stir-fries, the kernels of this grass-like plant has a bland yet sweet, nutty flavor. The roots of this water plant is dark brown in color and when you peel it, the revealed white flesh is crispy and juicy and the part most valued for its crunchy texture and delicious taste.

As a child, we eat apulid/water chestnuts in handfuls as a snack. The water chestnuts is sold in open markets already boiled and ready to eat just like boiled peanuts. Our water chestnuts is not as big as the Chinese ones that are canned so we did not have to peel them when we eat them.

Just like water cress, you can grow this delicious corms, I call them that because they look just like the corms of my favorite bulb plant the gladiola, in a bog-like situation because they like wet-feet and pick a sunny location in your garden. No special fertilizer is needed but compost is good to use as a planting medium. Try planting them in an isolated place in the garden just like asparagus because you have to wait at least four months or more to gather the roots.