Neighbor Gave Me a Bag of These …What Are They, and How Do You Eat Them .first comment

My Neighbor Handed Me a Bag of These Strange Black “Horns” — I Had No Idea They Were Actually Food

If someone handed you a bag filled with dark, hard objects shaped like tiny bulls’ heads, you might hesitate before putting one anywhere near your dinner plate. But these unusual-looking pods appear to be water caltrops, often called water chestnuts, horned water chestnuts, buffalo nuts, or bat nuts, depending on the region.

And yes—they’re edible when properly prepared.

What Are These Strange-Looking Things?

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Water caltrops are the fruits of aquatic plants in the genus Trapa. Their hard shells develop distinctive pointed “horns,” giving them an appearance unlike almost anything you’d normally find in a supermarket produce aisle.

They have a long history as food in parts of Asia and Europe. Despite one of their common names, they are not the same thing as the round, pale Chinese water chestnuts commonly sold canned for stir-fries.

The edible portion is hidden inside that intimidating shell.

Once cooked and opened, the kernel inside is pale and starchy. Its texture can be compared loosely to a chestnut or firm potato, although the flavor and texture vary with maturity and preparation.

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So How Do You Eat Them?

The important part is preparation: don’t simply bite into one or casually eat it raw.

Wash the fruits thoroughly and cook them before eating. Traditionally, water caltrops may be boiled or steamed until the interior is cooked through. Cooking time can vary considerably with size and maturity, so they should be cooked until the kernel inside is tender rather than relying only on a fixed number of minutes.

After cooking, allow them to cool enough to handle.

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Then carefully crack or cut away the hard outer shell and remove the pale kernel inside. The pointed shells can be surprisingly sharp, so using an appropriate kitchen tool is much safer than trying to break them with your teeth.