A tourist picks water chestnuts while sitting in wooden tubs in Hai'an, a county-level city in Nantong. [Photo/WeChat account: hafbwx]

In summer and autumn, it is common to see residents in Hai'an, Nantong sitting in wooden tubs picking water chestnuts in the river.

The water chestnut, a widely consumed vegetable in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, have two or four spiny angles and resemble silver ingots in shape. They are high in nutritional value and can be eaten in different ways.

Locals say that the vegetables taste best when eaten raw. They are eaten by holding the ends of the shell, breaking the chestnut in the middle, and removing the thin bitter coat around the core.

Another popular way to eat them is to boil them in clear water, which will give them a soft and waxy texture.

The vegetable can also be used as an ingredient in a variety of dishes – they can be fried with lotus roots and gorgon fruit or braised with pork, chicken or duck in soy sauce.

Freshly picked red water chestnuts [Photo/WeChat account: hafbwx]

Dishes cooked with water chestnuts [Photo/WeChat account: hafbwx]