Lotus-Paste & Baking

Traditional Lotus-Paste (Lianrong) for Mooncakes

Name: Traditional Lotus-Paste (Lianrong) for Mooncakes
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 400 g Ground (polished) white lotus; ~1 L (to cook) Water; ~160 g White sugar; ~80 g Maltose / corn syrup; ~100 ml Vegetable oil

The premium mooncake heart — polished white lotus turned into silky, aromatic lianrong.

makes ~1 kg paste ~90 min Difficulty: Medium

Which lotus to order: Ground (polished) white lotus — milky-white, creamy, the classic paste lotus.

Lotus-paste (lianrong) is the soul of the Cantonese mooncake — smooth, aromatic and just sweet enough to carry the salted egg yolk at its heart. The whole craft hinges on one ingredient choice: the lotus grade.

Manufacturers prefer polished (ground) white lotus made from red lotus with the outer skin mechanically removed. It hydrates evenly, blends to a pale creamy color and gives the fine mouthfeel consumers expect. Polished mechanically — never chemically bleached — it is the spec premium mooncake houses lock in months before the Mid-Autumn season.

Ingredients

Ground (polished) white lotus
400 g
Water
~1 L (to cook)
White sugar
~160 g
Maltose / corn syrup
~80 g
Vegetable oil
~100 ml

Method

1
Soak 400 g polished white lotus in water 1 h, then drain.
2
Boil or pressure-cook in ~1 L water until completely soft and mashable (about 30–40 min). Drain excess water.
3
Blend to a very smooth paste while warm.
4
In a wide pan over low heat, stir the paste with sugar, maltose and oil in batches, cooking and folding until the paste darkens slightly, turns glossy and pulls cleanly away from the pan (about 20–25 min).
5
Cool completely before portioning for mooncakes or wrapping filling; store chilled.

Tips

Tip 1:Oil must be added gradually and fully absorbed, or the paste will separate. Low heat is non-negotiable to avoid scorching the sugar.
Tip 2:At factory scale, batch consistency comes from a locked grade spec — grind size, moisture ≤12% and no chemical bleaching.
Tip 3:order ground white lotus in Grade 1 and request an EU-GAP / Halal / Green-Food certified mill to keep export documentation clean.

Buy the exact grade

Factory-direct, sulfur-free pearl lotus. Specify form, grade & destination for a fast FOB/CIF quote.