Lantern Festival

[yong]

During the lantern festival, we eat lots of goodies and one of this is called "linkok", black in colour, shaped like a buffalo's head, which is from China (or probably elseway also)

Anyone knows from what plant/tree this fruit/nut came from?

[cherry]

I guess its not the season yet.... :)

[mysticalangel]

Try asking at the chinese medical hall, they shd know :P sorry cant help much since I dont really know what is it that u are talking abt but figured tat since its "chinese related" the medical hall shd know:)

[kennykang]

During the lantern festival, we eat lots of goodies and one of this is called "linkok", black in colour, shaped like a buffalo's head, which is from China (or probably elseway also)

Anyone knows from what plant/tree this fruit/nut came from?

If I'm not mistaken, it's a kind of fruit from the water chestnut family called "water caltrop". Used to eat quite alot during the Moon Cake festival when I was young in my hometown. Nowadays most people have not seen this fruit at all let alone having a taste of it.

[ouch_spitmeout]

hi,

i signed up just to answer you this question :) makes me feel priviledged that i still get linkok every year during mooncake festival. I am now living in serdang but i go back to my mum's in kajang and they still sell that in market every year . Ive asked my mum the same question, she told me all linkok are connected in one line if you notice they have 'hairs' at the top and these will connect them together. And it comes from the sea! i dunno how true this is but this is all i know:)

[HTH]

Yup, it's called water caltrop. Check this out
http://www.drliew.net/archives/000630.html

[rachel_fplee]

Always wonder what's the taste...we normally have it during Lantern Festival but always ended for show only. No one bothers to even try it!

How do you settle with the hard shell? Using a hammer? :confused:

[sly]

eerr...yong...hope this is good enough for you...but thanks...i've eaten it donkey years ago and don't remember it at all until now...thank you so much...

http://waynesword.palomar.edu/ploct95.htm

[yong]

Thank you very much Kenny Kang, HTH and Sly.

Your info. is 100% accurate Kenny, "water caltrop"

What happened was this.

I bought a floating plant at 88 Marine in SS15 Subang Jaya some months ago. On checking the net. it says it's called "mosaic" I then saw the same plant (though smaller) in Xiang Leng Aquarium in Shah Alam, coming out from a REAL linkok, from the head where there is some hair, a long stem to the surface of the water, and bloom to some leaves.

That's where I thought my floating plant was similar to this. I checked the net for linkok, but can't find the answer till Kenny says it's water caltrop.

My mosaic was kept in a water lily pot, and one day, as I was watering it, I saw something on the surface of the water. On further examination, it's a baby linkok! Reddish brown in colour, sprouting from the mosaic. It continue to sprout 2 more.

Due to the condition, it did not mature into the typical black bull horn. One of it has since started to sprout at the head, where there's some hair around it.

That's how linkok came about! That's how they fruit. It's really by chance I have this wonderful experience!

I've since asked my mum to watch out for linkok in the market as moon cake festival is coming soon.

Thanks again Kenny, HTH and Sly for your info. and their site.