Lotus 莲蓬

I remembered when I was in Form 2
During one session of Science class
The teacher (Mrs. Baynum if my memory didn't fail me) asked if we've seen 'real' lotus （莲蓬）
...it came as a surprise to me as only me and another friend (who also calls Ipoh 怡保 her hometown) have ever came into contact with lotus in it's most original form
something that I have taken for granted over the years...
I remember when I was very young lotus ponds were aplenty in Ipoh and hence lotus plants and this 'precious' fruit
so everytime we go back to grandma's house we would buy a lot (healthy snack;P)
now it's hard to get them...my father got these at a Malay stall on his way back from Ipoh
...and we all know lotus seeds are good for detoxification...even my dog loves it
(ah well, my dog eats everything;PPP...loves fruits and carrots a lot - a vegetarian dog to be;P)

The 'heart' of the lotus seed is bitter (which therefore has the goodness of lotus) the darker the green colour (when the fruit is too ripe), the more bitter it will be...I dont like it bitter but with young seeds you can't really taste the bitterness