By Nasir Aijaz
The AsiaN Representative
ISLAMABAD: In the water-rich land of Sindh, a province of Pakistan, where rivers and lakes shape the rhythm of life, the lotus plant blooms like a verse of nature’s poetry. Its flowers are a symbol of beauty, and its root, known as Beh, is an essential part of Sindhi cuisine and culture.
Sindhi people, in Sindh, India or wherever they are settled around the world, cook lotus root with great affection; whether in curries, stews, or fried dishes, its flavor carries a distinct and beloved identity.
But the lotus root is not merely a vegetable. It is a delicate thread that connects people across waters and borders.
The lotus grows in water, roots in mud, and yet rises above, emerging as a pure and serene flower. Likewise, human society, though diverse in race, culture, and belief, can come together to form a shared beauty of coexistence.
Those who serve lotus root lovingly on their tables in Sindh may not realize that the same vegetable is cherished with equal fondness in India, China, Japan, Vietnam, Korea, Middle East, America and many other lands.
In southern states of India, the Lotus Root is called Kanwal Kakri. Kanwal is the indigenous name of the lotus flower.
In China, it is called 莲藕 (Lián’ǒu), valued not only as food but also for its medicinal and spiritual significance. It seems as though Sindh’s Beh and China’s lian-ou spring from the same water, a reminder of our shared human nature.
When the aroma of Beh curry fills a Sindhi home on a winter evening, it is more than the scent of food. It is the fragrance of memories, of love for one’s land, and of harmony with nature.
In China too, when families serve Lotus Root Soup during the New Year, it symbolizes purity, unity, and togetherness. Thus, a single root, born beneath water, binds two cultures together, like two hearts beating to the rhythm of the same wave on opposite banks of a river.
In Japan, the lotus root is called 蓮根 (れんこん, renkon); củ sen in Vietnamese, 연근 (yeongeun) in Korea and in Arabic-speaking regions it is called جذر اللوتس (jadhar al-lotus). In many Middle Eastern and North African contexts, lotus root is valued for its delicate texture and the sense of renewal and unity it evokes. Whether featured in traditional preparations or contemporary fusion dishes, the lotus root carries a universal resonance of purification and communal harmony. (The names of lotus root in Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean and the Arab language are what the ChatGPT told).
In an age when division, conflict, and hatred are spreading across the world, the lotus root reminds us that all humans share the same origin. We all rise from the same water of creation; only our outward forms differ.
The shared presence of this humble root in Sindhi, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Arabian cuisine might seem small, yet it quietly reveals a profound truth that love, taste, and humanity transcend the boundaries of language, race, and nation.
Like the lotus root, we too are deeply connected — rooted in soil, nourished by water, and sustained by love. When we savor the same flavor cherished by people in another land, it becomes more than a meal. It becomes a spiritual communion. That feeling, born from taste, draws people closer together. And perhaps that is the true lesson of the lotus root: To grow from the depths of water, reach toward the light, and connect all hearts along the way.
