Coosemans Worldwide - Produce Quiz

I am a sweet, nutlike tuber of the genus Trapa. I am three or four sided and most popular in the cuisines of Japan, China and Thailand. My roots are anchored to the bottom of lakes or ponds, my leaves are at the surface, and I am formed at the bottom or in the middle. Although indigenous to Southeast Asia, I also grow prolifically in southern Europe and the eastern Unites States, particularly in the Potomac River, where my thick growth often hinders navigation. Rich in starch and mineral salts, I can be eaten raw or cooked with butter. I can usually be found getting all heated up in a stir-fry but that is after I am boiled or steamed. I am great wrapped in bacon. Use lemon juice to retain my color. I am also available canned (whole or sliced), or as a powder for flour. Because my seeds were often used in the making of rosaries, I am sometimes called a “Jesuit’s nut. I am known to be a good tonic. When eaten raw I am a good source of potassium and magnesium.

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Produce Quiz courtesy of:
Richard Leibowitz
Culinary Specialty Produce
"We Follow Orders"

The answer to last week's quiz: TINDORA
Last week's question?

I am a small mild gourd and a member of the cucumber family. I am primarily grown in India and Malaysia which is optimal because that is where I am mostly consumed. I am no more than three inches long and never more than 1.5 inches in diameter. My skin is green with paler green stripes. My flesh is moist and crisp with many seeds that are edible. When I get old I get bitter. I’ve been told that this often happens to your species as well. When I’m bitter I turn red. I’ve been told that this often happens to your species as well. My bitter flavor can be masked when served in a hot curry. Can yours? I am used as a pickle, a side dish, marinated in salads, crudités, salsas or Indian curries. I am fat free, low in sodium, and good source of vitamin A & C. Gotcha!