Meaning
蓮 (はす, Hasu) is Lotus, a Japanese food (plants, vegetables).
What is Lotus?
Hasu refers to the lotus flower plant, also known as water lily. Many parts of the lotus can be eaten or consumed as an infusion, including the stem, flower, leaves, rhizome, and seeds. The rhizomes of lotus are consumed as a vegetable: sold whole or in cut pieces, fresh, frozen, or canned. They are fried or cooked mostly in soups, soaked in syrup or pickled in vinegar (with sugar, chili and garlic). Lotus rhizomes have a crunchy texture with sweet and tangy flavours and are a classic dish at many banquets where they are deep-fried, stir-fried, or stuffed with meats or preserved fruits. Salads with prawns, sesame oil, or coriander leaves are also popular. Fresh lotus seeds are nutritious but also vulnerable to microbial contamination. Therefore, mostly dry lotus seed-based products are found on the market. Lotus seeds can be processed into moon cake, lotus seed noodles, and food in the forms of paste, fermented milk, rice wine, ice cream, and a popcorn-like snack.