Bat nut

Description

Water caltrop are not eaten raw, they are boiled or roasted first.

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Bat nuts are native to warm temperate parts of Eurasia and Africa where they have been cultivated for the edible seeds for at least 3,000 years. They grow on floating plants in slow moving water up to 5m deep.

The ornately shaped fruits resemble the head of a bull or the silhouette of a flying bat. Their striking appearance looks man-made, abd upon first glance, many people can’t believe they are natural. Each fruit contains a large, starchy seed, which once boiled tastes similar to chestnut and firm potato. They’re best eaten with a sprinkle of salt.

They’re ready to harvest in the Autumn and only available for a short period of time.

In India and Pakistan, bat nuts are known as singhara or paniphal (eastern India) where they are widely cultivated in freshwater lakes. When the fruit has been dried, it’s ground to a flour called singhare ka atta, which can be consumed as a phalahar (fruit diet) on the Hindu fasting days, the navratas. The flour is also used for making bread.

Not only are the bat nuts used as a food, they are also a popular decorative item. In Southeast Asia, local people wash and polish them then make various handicrafts including necklaces.